Inside the Silence
by chocomintswirl
Summary: Is now being worked on again. Will be redone to go along with the episodes I finally finished watching A Raven/BB, Starfire/Robin story. Doing my best. I will keep you updated.
1. Inside the Silence

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans, cause if I freaking did, Beast Boy and Raven would get together, Starfire and Robin would get together and Terra would find somebody…cause I just can't bring myself to hate her. AND Cyborg would find somebody too cause he's damn awesome! Slade would die…so on and so forth. I think you get the point that I don't own Teen Titans, right? This fic is based solely on the Toonami showing or Teen Titans, not the comic book cause I haven't finished those yet. Please DON'T sue me as I have NOTHING to give you. Struggling college student here.

{{A/N: Okie, here is my first try at a Teen Titans fic. I decided to try it cause I LOVE this freakin show! I just had to watch the episode "Nevermore" and I fell in love with Beast Boy/Raven as a pairing. And for Starfire/Robin, well, those hints are practically EVERYWHERE, especially in "Sisters" and "The Apprentice 2" as well as "Transformation" and I LOVE IT! That's all I can say. Please R&R and for those of you who do not like Raven/Beast Boy or Robin/Starfire, I warn you…DO NOT READ THIS FIC! You will be disappointed unless you're open to alternate pairings and will most likely want to flame me, which would be stupid because I warned you. If you want to flame me for something else, I guess that's fine. You'll do it anyway, right? Constructive Criticism is welcome, as always. Please try not to flame since they are not helpful. Enjoy.}}

Word Coding:

'Thoughts'

"Speaking"

Everything else

****

Inside the Silence

Silence. It was odd at such an hour that silence be predominant in Titan Tower. If plausible, a mouse could be heard, or even a pin dropping, too. The hour was not early, nor was it late; but it was mid-day, the time of day when the Teen Titans tended to be awake and running around doing the daily activities lest they be called on some rescue mission mid-activity. And yet the silence reigned like an iron fist as the only coherent occupant made her way down the long staircase that led to the kitchen located in the lower areas of Titan Tower. The only audible sound was the sigh that escaped her lips as she placed the kettle on the stove, water inside, and turned on the burner to its lowest flame. Having done this, she removed a ceramic mug from the cabinets above along with a small bag of her special herbal tea. Glancing in the box, she noted that it was her last packet. '_Whoever goes shopping will have to pick some more up for me._' The thought of shopping bogged her down in an instant, more than she already was always bogged down; luckily, she realized she did not have to shop. It was Starfire's turn.

Coming back from her momentary thoughts, she focused on the matter at hand. It was mid-day and no one was up. '_Did I...miss something?_' She had been accustomed to the noise her friends made while out of their rooms. But there were no immediate signs that even one of them had congregated to the living room or kitchen area earlier. In the living room the TV was blank, it's black screen a contrast to the bright sun flowing in the windows. To its side lay the game console that Cyborg and Beast Boy were so fond of, piles of videogames falling over it in a messy heap. Not usually the most hungry, she suddenly found herself peering into the refrigerator where masses of old food still lie, rotting away and once again covered in the mysterious blue fuzz. She did notice, however, a bowl of green gooey-like liquid sitting in the middle of the icebox, untouched by the blue fuzz. '_No doubt one of Starfire's concoctions_.' She found herself gagging before hastily shutting the door as the green gooey substance bubbled rather sporadically. A sharp whistling noise signaled that her tea water was ready as she heard footsteps descending the staircase. '_Someone is up._' She was pouring the water in a cup when she felt the very presence of the person enter. The opening of the plate cabinet didn't hide much else either but she said nothing in greeting, simply pretending she hadn't heard anyone come in.

"Morning Rae."

"My name is Raven. " She rolled her eyes. "Don't you mean Afternoon?"

The green changeling behind her did a double take, his groggy eyes snapping open instantly. "What? No way! It can't be the afternoon already! That would mean I slept in!"

"You did." Robin's sleepy voice drifted from the end of the stairs. "We all did."

"It must have been because of all the fighting, right Robin?" Robin nodded lazily at the cheery, young tamaranian woman. "But friend Raven did not wake late, right?"

"Right Starfire," Raven replied as monotonously as ever.

Cyborg waltzed in suddenly with a stack of packaged bacon is hands with real eggs, which he pointed out to Beast Boy with fervor. Raven rolled her eyes again as the daily, commonly morning, argument began. Tofu eggs or real eggs-it never changed, amazingly enough. It was anything but breakfast time but when everyone awoke as late as they did she figured it made sense that everyone was still operating on morning-mode. Another sigh escaping her lips, she turned to leave the kitchen where the chaos of the morning ensued, heading towards the stairs for her room. She had barely stepped on the first step when someone tapped her from behind. With an irritated smile, she made an abrupt turn to face the person who caused her much annoyance. "What is it?"

"Rae, how come you don't stay and eat breakfast with us? I won't make Tofu eggs…I promise!" Beast Boy's shining smile made her insides tingle as she politely declined. Seemingly disappointed, Beast Boy walked away dejectedly with a pan in his hands. Once inside the kitchen, far from Raven's earshot, he plopped down next to Starfire, who was eagerly mixing something that appeared completely toxic to the others. Robin was easily wolfing down some pieces of buttered toast that he'd managed to scrounge up. Cyborg was, of course, practically inhaling his bacon and eggs off his plate. Beast Boy exhaled a long, steady, utterly bored breath as he watched his friends. "Today bites you guys."

Robin, who had previously been eating, finished his orange juice in one gulp before turning to his green skinned friend. "What's the matter Beast Boy? You're not very cheery today."

"Yeah…I know." His response was clipped and heavy with the tone of bitterness. Not hesitating to explain why, Beast Boy rose and vanished through the open window.

Starfire looked up from the gunk she'd been stirring with worried eyes. "Robin, what seems to be the matter with friend Beast Boy? Why does he not…joke like he always does?"

Cyborg watched as the green sparrow disappeared from view. "I'd say he's blue, right man?"

"Right," Robin agreed readily as he placed his knife in the sink where dishes were overflowing, like normal.

Starfire blinked in confusion. "Robin, I do not understand. How can friend Beast Boy be blue when he is quite clearly green? Is this a…as you call it…figure of speech? Friend Raven had informed me of them some time ago." Robin nodded in answer as Starfire jumped for joy. "I do understand!"

And so the day commenced, albeit later than usual.

* * *

In her room Raven found herself gazing into her mirror with a sense of foreboding and longing as her mind drifted to the changeling flying around outside. She'd spotted him five minutes after he took off. She noticed that he didn't venture far off, but she also knew it was unmistakably him as she gazed upon the olive feathers flapping. Taking this as her chance, and perhaps one of very few chances, to secretly observe him, Raven followed his every movements. He suddenly transformed into an eagle and began soaring further away from the tower. Hanging her head in slight disappointment, Raven picked up her mirror and embraced the nothingness around her as the world and Titan Tower vanished from around her.

Once inside the mirror, Raven called a council of emotions. She was idly walking around when the first to arrive, Happy, greeted her. "Hello! What are you doing here?" She giggled without reason. Raven rolled her eyes.

"I called a council."

"Yes, we are all aware of this now Raven." Knowledge emerged from behind Happy with Courage, Timid, Rage, Wisdom and the rest. "Why did you call the council together?"

Raven bit her lips nervously, relieved that she was in her mirror and not in front of her friends. "I'm in…I think…" She paused as Happy continued to giggle and Knowledge threw her a knowing look. "Why do you even ask? You already know Knowledge." Courage shot her a glare. "Oh all right…I think I'm in love…"

"With the green changeling? Yes…we figured so when Love entered this realm."

From underneath her cloak she was blushing like hellfire but glad that it was not visible. "Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do? Otherwise I'll just be going."

"Perhaps you should tell him…" Timid's idea did not go unnoticed.

"Yes, cause that would be so like me and so easy-" Raven's sarcastic comment was shattered midway when she heard someone calling her. "I have to go." Her emotions sensed that there was another presence trying to come in the room. "I don't want anyone coming inside of my mirror again." Outside her mirror again, she heard the knocking on her door. With her trademark impassive look back on her face, she answered the door and almost keeled over at the sight. Beast Boy stood before her scratching his head and blushing madly. She gave him another blank stare as he finally opened his eyes. "What did you need?"

"Nothing, necessarily…that is…dinner's ready?" Beast Boy's face became even redder if possible.

Normally, and in the past, Raven had to look down at Beast Boy to even give him the time of day. But in recent times, now at the age of 18 and no longer TEEN Titans, she noticed how much taller he had become and really, he was no longer Beast BOY. '_More like Beast Man…but that sounds strange._' Swallowing the lump that had suddenly risen in her throat, Raven nodded as her own voice answered at it's own accord words that she was not going to say. "Sure…that'd be very entertaining." Her eyes would have bulged if she'd not kept her composure, vowing to crush Bravery for her little outburst.

Beast Boy's eyes almost popped out of his head. "What? No snide remark or death threat for interrupting you?" He slapped his hand over his mouth before he could say anything more that might get him in trouble. "Wait! That came out wrong! I mean-

"What did you say?" At his comment Raven's eyes did widen as she processed what he said. '_Is that…how he thinks of me? But then again…'_ She mentally slapped herself. '_I haven't exactly been the nicest person to him…on MANY occasions._' And though rational thought had persuaded her mind, he emotions were slightly offended by his statement, especially Pride. Without thinking, Raven lashed out with her anger at the young man before her who was trying desperately to correct his vain mistake. "Well, it's not my fault you are so annoying and are always telling stupid jokes! And you think I'm bad! Is that what you think of me Beast Boy? If that's the case, leave before I have a conniption and destroy something, maybe even you!" As if to emphasize her point all the lights in the hallway shattered simultaneously, raining glass on their heads although Raven's was protected by her cloak. Beast Boy nodded and began running down the hallway. But not before shouting her way, though it might not have been angry so much as hurt. '**_I thought we were friends Rae! I'm sorry, it was just a mistake; I'll never talk to you again if that's what you want. Just don't come begging me for friendship._**' His words echoed in her head along with the face he'd made as she'd sent him away. '_I'm so terrible…_' Her self-loathing kicked in right away as she slammed the door to her room and fell onto her bed, pillow over her head.

On the other end of Titan Tower, Beast Boy was sitting in his room, miserable as ever. He'd passed by the living room where Cyborg and Robin were at another videogame, Robin losing as usual. Starfire was behind them cheering loudly as ever for the Boy Wonder whom she fancied. Beast Boy made a face. '_When are they going to admit that they like each other?_' That sudden thought brought Raven back to mind and he skulked away to the privacy of his room, which was now, like Raven's, dark. He didn't bother to turn on the light as he plopped down on his bed, face in the pillows as he exhaled slow, heavy breaths. His mind wandered to the reason he went to her room in the first place. She sounded upset but more than usual, as though he'd interrupted more than her daily meditations. His mind came tumbling back to the time he entered her mirror without permission just to apologize, the place he'd met her different emotions that she bottled up for good reasons. Happy, Timid, and Courage…he remembered them most of all. Of course, he took particular liking to Happy, for she was a part of Raven's personality that hardly ever showed through. It was true that every now and then Raven would smile or blush, but on rare occasions that many times had nothing to do with him. The constant jokes he told her never seemed to filter into her mind and she just became annoyed with him. '_So why don't I give it up?_'

He knew the answer to his own question, an answer he was trying to deal with. "Because she fascinates me, because she's so mysterious, because I think I might love her." He whistled to the air around him as he heard himself say it. Outside his room came a loud knock and he guessed whom it might be. "Come in Cy." Cyborg did not hesitate to come in, breaking the door in his hurry to speak with his green friend. Beast Boy flinched. "Come on man…now I'm going to have to fix that and Robin's going to kill me."

"Well, I'd say that's a small price to pay for getting ya out of this room and downstairs for games! Stop mopin man!" Cyborg's arms were crossed over his chest in irritation. "What's goin on with you anyway BB?"

Beast Boy merely shrugged and continued to look at the floor as he felt Cyborg's weight sink into the mattress next to him. He sighed again, something of habit these days, as he envisioned what he would do if he were ever to ask Raven to be his girlfriend in the future. '_Yeah…like she'd say yes…' _With a forlorn smile on his lips, beast Boy ran a hand through his slicked back Green hair. '_Oh yeah…the ladies love me…_' His grin only lasted a few seconds when the image of the gray-skinned young woman flashed in his mind. He couldn't seem to rid himself of her image. Next to him, Cyborg was staring at him as if he'd grown another head. After having called to his friend for the past five minutes he began to suspect that something was wrong. Finally, fed up with Beast Boy not responding, the half robot half-human smacked him on the head--viciously. Beast Boy glared at him in pain as he rubbed his sore head. "What's your deal Cy? That really hurt!"

"Well, I've been tryin to talk to you for the past five minutes man…but you ain't responded to anythin I said!" His patience wasn't exactly wearing thin but he did not want to be ignored. He did sense though, however, that there was something wrong with his usually cheerful companion. "Come BB, tell me what's wrong man! You ain't never actin weird like this unless somethin's really botherin you."

Beat Boy rubbed his head again as he thought of a way to go about telling his metal friend that he had feelings for the resident Goth of the Teen Titans. "Well Cy," he began hesitantly as his friend looked at him expectantly. "What? Can't I be nervous a little bit? Geez…I've never admitted anything like this before, nothing of this magnitude! You know what this could do to my brain waves? I could die from something this simple!"

Cyborg blinked. "What? Did you just use those words in a sentence?" Beast Boy glared. "Ok, I get it…you're trying to tell me something terribly serious man. Go ahead."

Sighing again, Beast boy began to tell his friend everything that had happened since Terra's "death" three years ago. He told him everything from his confusion of feelings for the Earthmover to the Goth sorceress who had intrigued him so early on in when he joined the Teen Titans. He told him everything he'd bottled up from behind his happy-go-lucky façade that had, apparently, not fooled Cyborg himself. Beast Boy seemed to be struggling with whatever feelings he still had about the entire Raven/Terra issue. "Cy, what do I do? I can't just ignore my love for Terra, right? I know she might never come back, I mean…at this point it's pretty much inevitable...but," Cyborg nodded his acknowledgement. "But lately...I've been thinking about Raven so much...it's like a plague. I'm confused beyond belief man...I just can't get her out of my head. Is it wrong Cy? Is it wrong to want Raven and forget about Terra, as though she was never here? Is it bad that I...don't regret wanting Raven?"

Placing a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder, Cyborg smiled. "Look man...did you ever think that maybe you never REALLY loved Terra, at least not in the romantic way? Maybe, all along, you have always loved Raven. Maybe Terra was just there when you needed her most, as the best friend you never thought you'd have? ." With a tired sigh, the taller teen stood up. "Things have changed so drastically BB. Nothing's been the same. Raven ain't as bad as she used to be, her emotions are under control now...Star and Robin...they ain't the same either. If anything, I think they just need to commit already." Beast Boy laughed at this. He pointed a finger at the green teen who was wallowing in pity on the bed. "Man...you've changed a lot yourself."

Beast Boy turned away, his mind drifting back to the incident that had occurred between him earlier when Raven shattered the lights in the hallway. He couldn't bring it in himself to be angry with her for reacting the way she did. '_That could be applied to a lot of situations, including the Terra one._' He winced at the thought of her. Coming back to the present, he remembered what had transpired between him and the Goth. What he had said wasn't exactly the nicest thing, especially when she had willingly and politely accepted his dinner offer. '_Even if it wasn't for me personally..._' His mind had wandered off completely, immersed in its own little world while Cyborg quietly exited his room not bothering to wake the dazed teen. In the hall, Cyborg leaned against the wall and shook his head. His thoughts were heavy with confusion as well. He didn't understand why he happened to seem like the only sane one in the group. Even their fearless leader was acting strange and Cyborg was pretty sure it had something to do with their resident alien teammate. He understood that Beast Boy had not fully gotten over the fact that Terra had betrayed his trust, and that even if he didn't love her, she was still a dear friend. Not many people accepted Beast Boy for who he was besides his teammates, which was difficult for Raven even then, for she was always busy trying to keep her emotions under control to even properly acknowledge their friend. Although he liked Raven, sometimes he wondered went through her head when it concerned his video game playing pal.

He wasn't always sure what exactly went through their fearless leader's head either, but he was sure it was less complex than what Raven had going on. Slamming his fists together, he got a look of determination on his face. '_I know what I gotta do. I need to do group counseling._' He was serious for a mere five seconds before he burst out laughing at his own idea as he began a steady descent down the staircase, eyes alight with mirth at his genius. In the living room, Starfire and Robin were watching a documentary on the political aspects of the 1800's, most which involved the various food acts. Robin looked thoroughly bored while Starfire's emerald eyes were wide with curiosity. Cyborg noticed that every now and then she'd lean over to the Boy Wonder and whisper into his ear, most likely a question. At this, Robin blushed profusely but it went unnoticed by the somewhat clueless Tamaranian female. She appeared too engrossed in the film. Cyborg chuckled. '_I can't believe that guy watches that stuff with her all the time!_' He did, however, have to give the human boy credit for tolerating Starfire's many "curiosities and oddities" that came along with her. It was as though he was under some invisible obligation to explain all earth customs to her. Through the following years she had gained a great amount of knowledge about earth and its ways, but now and then she would find something new and puzzling; then she would rush to Robin for an explanation unless it was a feminine subject. Raven usually dealt with those, but not without some protest.

He vaguely recalled the shattered glass in the hallway as he made his way down to the garage, figuring that it must have had something to do with Raven and Beast Boy's encounter, which Beast boy had informed him about. Picking up a basic wrench, Cyborg began to operate on his T-Car, which was looking rather dirty at that moment. He released a low growl, realizing that Beast Boy must have ventured down there, in the nighttime perhaps, and sloshed mud all over it. Luckily the rather thin layer of wax had protected it enough for the majority of the mud to slide off like water on a duck. Setting the wrench down, he reached for the nearest waxing cloth and began to wax his car until it would shine. He spent the rest of the afternoon with his car until he heard Robin calling for them to come upstairs.

* * *

It was around the early evening hours that Raven finally worked up enough courage to come down to the kitchen for dinner, intent on acting as normal as possible. As soon as she walked in she spotted Starfire at the counter mixing something that smelled rather foul, as was the norm for the alien. Robin was reading the newspaper at the table while Cyborg was nowhere to be seen. She also noticed that Beast Boy was absent. Chancing a glance, she looked towards the living room and saw no one. '_Where are they?_' Half of her question was answered when Cyborg emerged from the door that led to the garage. He took a seat next to Robin and they both began discussing what to eat for dinner while Starfire paused from her "cooking" to float over and investigate the conversation. This went on for a good twenty minutes--still no sign of Beast Boy. Knowing it would seem out of character to ask about the changeling, she asked something else more generic. "So…where are we all going to eat? Is it pizza again?"

"Sure!" Robin grinned. "Wait," he looked around. "Where is Beast Boy?"

Cyborg growled. "Mopin--I mean…sleepin in his room." He looked away as Raven's eyes landed on him. '_Damn…how does she always know?'_ He knew the other Titans were staring at him for not finishing the first sentence, but soon Robin and Starfire shrugged and continued their dinner conversation. Raven, however, was not easily persuaded. Thinking that gathering his companion might be a good idea, he stood up and departed from the kitchen quickly. Once outside in the stair hall, he began as quiet a tiptoe as he could manage. Seconds later he was cut off by black energy blocking his path. With a nervous chuckle he faced the sorceress that occupied Beast Boy's every thought. "Hey there Raven. What's up girl?"

"What were you going to say?" Raven did not beat around the bush.

"Nothin. Beast Boy is sleepin in his room," Cyborg replied truthfully.

"But that's not what you were going to say before. What is he doing?" Raven's eyes bored into his, a bright white as she controlled her powers.

"Why do you care?"

Immediately Raven dropped her guard and the plasma shield disappeared as her gaze rested on the floor, arms cradling her form as she let out a long breath. "I don't know. I don't understand it myself." When Cyborg said nothing, she glanced up at him. "Um…you know, don't you?"

"Know what?" The innocent act might work for him, he figured.

It did as Raven slowly floated up in the air, turning a 180 away from him as she let her cloak cover her face. "You know what I did." Her monotone voice drowned out the chatter emanating from the kitchen's occupants. "You must have seen the…mess…I made in the hallway. He told you, didn't he, what I did? Then…I should apologize shouldn't I?" No reply. "I don't want to. I did nothing wrong. I accepted his invitation politely and willingly. He should not have replied the way he did." Still no response. "You think I deserve this treatment, don't you Cyborg?" Again, no answer. Raven's eyes began to twitch when she received no answer. "Are you even listening? I don't usually tell people this kind of stuff." Not a sound, not even breathing. With a low snarl she whipped around to come face to face with empty space. "No wonder…he must have high-tailed it as soon as I turned around. I guess I understand that much. But of all the times…"

"Are you talking to yourself Raven?"

She stopped dead in her tracks at the voice that spoke. She cringed when she felt his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it in a comforting gesture that meant more to her than he knew. Inching away slowly so as not to seem rude, she placed her cloak even further over her face. "No…I was talking to Cyborg…before he jetted out of here."

"Oh…"

Silence.

"Raven…about earlier…I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to say that to you. It was…wrong of me." Beast Boy's tone was truly apologetic. "Do you…could you forgive me? Can we still be friends again?"

Part of her wanted to strangle him, to be angry with him for insulting her; but the other part of her could tell he was truly sorry and she blushed. Whispering so only he could hear, she nodded. "Yes…I forgive you Beast Boy. Yes, we can still be friends…come on…use your brain, if you have one."

Beast Boy grinned weakly at her, glad that things seemed to be back to normal. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." He stretched his arms over his head as Raven began to walk away. "Hey Rae." She smiled at his nickname for her, unbeknownst to him, from underneath the shield of her hood. "Do you have any idea what we're doing for dinner?"

"Pizza," she responded in an even tone..

Beast Boy graced her with yet another smile. "Ok...thank you. See you there."

Raven nodded as she began to walk through the hallway to her room, listening intently to the padding of Beast Boy's feet. Once by her room she entered and closed the door behind her, leaning against it for support. '_No...I cannot feel._' She squeezed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to block out the visions and sounds of her fellow teammate. Her attempt was failed and completely unsuccessful as she heard a random vase in her room shatter to millions of minute pieces that spread across her midnight blue carpet. She released the longest sigh she'd heaved in days, her eyes rolling to face the ceiling above of her as she heard another random object somewhere outside her room crack and crash to the floor. '_I have to get my emotions under control, I have to._' Walking towards her bed, she began to levitate until she was in a standard meditative position. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos...Azarath Metrion Zinthos...Azarath Metrion-CRASH!" Throwing her hands up in defeat, she settled for taking a short nap until her fellow Titans decided to leave for dinner. '_Hopefully_,' she mused, '_there won't be any interruptions._' The rest of the time during her nap passed in relative normalcy, save for the constant screaming of Beast Boy and Cyborg, to her dismay, as she stayed locked in her room. Even so, she managed to fall out like a light until that time.

Down in the living room where they seemed to gather every hour on the hour, Starfire was sitting on the couch next to Robin as Beast Boy and Cyborg glared viciously at the TV screen. Robin was leafing through the booklet of their latest game while Starfire leaned on his arm, her eyes wide with curiosity as every now and then Robin mentioned a character he thought was interesting. Cyborg let out a triumphant yell as he threw Beast Boy's last racecar man off the track, signaling his victory. Beast Boy shouted in annoyance and slammed his controller down as Cyborg began gloating about his flawless victory to his surrounding friends. Starfire leapt up to hug him in congratulations while Robin smiled at his friend, telling him words of praise as Beast Boy protested their unfairness. This all was in good fun as usual and finally, after a few more rounds of their favorite game, they decided to head out for their signature dinner of pizza with five different toppings. Robin had sent Starfire to go fetch their hooded friend but she emerged on her own, face blank as always as they left Titan Tower for a night on the town.

At the pizza place, Raven sat down next to Starfire who had picked up a menu and fallen over herself to make sure that Beast Boy, Robin and Cyborg had seated themselves accordingly. After they had seated themselves all together, the usual argument ensued--what would be on the pizza. As usual, Beast Boy said vegetarian while Cyborg shot back double pepperoni. Robin rubbed is aching head while Raven pulled out a novel until the argument was settled. Starfire was buried behind the menu, only throwing comment out here and there, most of which could not be heard anyway. Finally, after numerous amounts of bickering, they settled on a pizza with five different toppings to accommodate each titan's separate cravings. As dinner was being eaten, Starfire began a small conversation with Robin about how delicious earth food tasted. Raven barely registered anything they said, or anything Cyborg and Beast Boy said when they fought over which was a better pizza-vegetarian or double pepperoni. About five minutes into dinner she realized she was not quite as hungry as she thought. '_Or that could have something to do with the way I'm feeling right now._' As if on cue, Beast Boy's cup turned a deep ebony color, flew up above him and shattered, causing soda to spill over his head. Raven blushed fiercely as they all gave her a questioning glance. Beast Boy was too busy whining over his soda-soaked pizza to care about the fact that Raven actually caused what had happened. Giving them her famous what-did-I-do glare, Raven continued trying to stuff the pizza down her throat while the conversations resumed.

Sometime after everyone had finished eating, they had decided since nothing was happening and no crimes were being committed-that they could see-that it would be a nice time to just hang out like normal teenagers who did not fight crime for a living. As they walked up and down the crowded sidewalk, Raven found herself in deep thought though she was able to hide her emotions so nothing would blow up or break around them. They would receive strange stares from people who did not live in Jump City, but otherwise, most stares were from admirers who knew of their resident heroes. Beats Boy gushed and soaked up the attention like a sponge would soak up soap while Cyborg tried to seem nonchalant to the admiring glances. Robin was too busy explaining more earth customs to Starfire to even notice the many appreciative stares he was being given by many a crazed fangirl, as was Starfire. Raven did not even make eye contact with any of the young men looking at her, too immersed in her thoughts of Beast Boy and her dilemma. Sure, she'd see many guys who would fit her style or persona, that would probably be a better match for her than Beast Boy-but she just didn't care about them, no matter how impressive they were. She chanced a quick glance at Beast Boy who was running his fingers through his hair while smiling at various young women. The smile he wore, she noted, did not quite reach his eyes. To her, his trademark smile appeared rather grim and false, as though he had painted it on from a fake makeup kit like on Halloween. It unsettled her inside to see him so unlike himself.

Her reverie was broken suddenly when she bumped into their metal friend. She gazed up at Cyborg in question as he did not seem to want to move. "Is something the matter Cyborg? Why have you stopped?"

"Oh man, oh man!" Cyborg's shout rang out through the group. "Look at that!" He pointed to a store filled with gadgets that Raven knew she'd probably never comprehend. One look at them told everyone where Cyborg would be. "I got to go inside!" He was gone.

Raven rolled her eyes as Robin and Starfire followed him in, Robin genuinely interested as well and Starfire not quite ready to leave Robin's side. Raven let out a breath of air-Robin was going to have some explaining to do to their alien friend. That left her outside with Beast Boy who had not even made a move to go into the gizmo cluttered store. Instead he scooted over towards Raven, who, for her part, stood nervously in place. "Hey Rae," he started. She looked up at him again, her trademark deadpan face set in place. He chuckled. "Um…I don't wanna go in there…do you?" He rested his gaze upon her head, looking down as she was no longer taller than him.

"Does it look like I want to go in there?" She replied, eyes staring at the store like it would attack her. Even though her hood hid her face, Beast Boy knew she was scowling at the shop.

"No…um…maybe we should go somewhere else. How about it? Just...you and me?"

Something in his voice made her look at him with concern and wonder, colliding emotions as he looked back at her. "I...uh...ok." Her momentary loss of speech was quickly recovered. "But are you…all right?"

He paused for a moment as she turned to start walking away, not awaiting an answer. She threw him a look that asked if he was coming. He nodded and caught up with her, not sure where she would take him but trusting her fully as he did everyday they risked their lives to fight villains. "Yeah…I'm fine." He still wasn't sure where they would end up going but wherever it was, Raven seemed to know where she was taking them. Once they were side by side, she looked at him again, seeming to ask him if he trusted her. He gazed back at her, their gazes unbroken, for what seemed an eternity before he spoke, his hand interlocking with hers, which she did not protest. "I trust you Raven, I trust you."

TBC…

_

* * *

{{Okie…that was my first attempt…and as of yet, I'm not quite sure where this will go, but I hope it goes well. I really enjoyed writing it. I'm super glad that Sarbon decided to help me write it. He's such a dear at the moment. In any case, please R&R. I will continue it without reviews…but you know, they are helpful and encouraging. In any case, BEAST BOY/RAVEN FOREVER! WOOHOO! And ROBIN/STARFIRE FOREVER! They are just totally made for each other, those two. Well, I have to go now. No news on Elemental conspiracy or Thoughts of Zephyr: Chapter 20. Cutting the Miniscule threads for the Harry Potter arc will be finished soon as well. Thank you. Bye all!}}_****

Darkkairi1


	2. Wandering Thoughts

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans so please DON'T sue me as I have NOTHING to give you. Struggling college student here. And I think you already know how I feel about the pairings.

{{A/N: Okie, here is my first try at a Teen Titans fic. I decided to try it cause I LOVE this freakin show! I just had to watch the episode "Nevermore" and I fell in love with Beast Boy/Raven as a pairing. And for Starfire/Robin, well, those hints are practically EVERYWHERE. Please R&R and for those of you who do not like Raven/Beast Boy or Robin/Starfire, I warn you…DO NOT READ THIS FIC! You will be disappointed unless you're open to those pairings, and will most likely want to flame me, which would be stupid because I warned you. If you want to flame me for something else, I guess that's fine. You'll do it anyway, right? Constructive Criticism is welcome, as always. Enjoy.}}

Word Coding:

'Thoughts'

"Speaking"

Flashbacks

Everything else

****

Inside the Silence

A cool breeze was in place as the night wore on, still young, but definitely wearing into the rest of the evening hours--the later evening hours. The moon was high in the darkening sapphire sky, which appeared slightly menacing at that particular moment with gray storm clouds. Even then, it seemed a mystery for the moon to be seen through the clouds that signaled tears from the heavens. Chatter filled the streets, the nosy bustle of people giving way to the normal party hours that dominated Jump City during the evening hours. People were strewn across the streets like various trash, most of them being druggies and hookers, which the cops dealt with. As a Teen Titan, Raven did not bother to even give them a second glance. Most of the time she walked right by them, not to be spiteful, but because their lifestyle was no concern of hers. To her side, Beast Boy seemed to agree, every now and then acknowledging the specks of human life jabbering about incessantly in the dirty streets. He didn't recognize the area at first, but he could've sword, after a second glance, that they were in Slade's area of operation. The mere thought of Slade brought back painful memories of Terra and he found himself becoming rather somber by each passing minute. For her part, Raven hadn't appeared to notice.

In actuality, Raven had taken a quick notice of Beast Boy's changing mood as they walked in silence down the filthy sidewalk. At first she wasn't sure if he would really accompany her to her destination, but when he took her hand, she figured he had no objections. The fact that he said he trusted her only further enforced her decision to have him go with her. With their communicators equipped and powers at the ready, walking through the part of town they were going through did not feel the least bit daunting. For the tiniest moment she felt somewhat bothered that she hadn't told Beast Boy where it was they were headed, but some other part of her was rejoicing in the fact that he was following her like some lost puppy. She didn't think she was being cynical, merely teasing him in the only way she really could without him suspecting her deepest intentions, not to mention her feelings. For her, teasing was the closest thing to expressing her feelings for him at such an early stage. It was, in essence, her own version of subtle flirting. Of course, the downside was--she guessed--that he was a rather clueless young man and didn't have the faintest idea as to what she was doing. At this thought, she chuckled to herself in order not attract Beast Boy's attention. But with his heightened animal senses he immediately heard it and faced her, his eyes wide.

"Was something funny?"

His simple question caught her off guard and she blanched as she picked up her pace until she had passed him. "No," she replied quietly, but she knew he'd heard her. "Come on…we're almost there."

As he followed her, he couldn't help but think that something was different about her at the present. She didn't seem like Raven, at least not the Raven he remembered when he joined the Titans. She seemed wiser than she had years ago. '_Go figure…it would make sense. It's been so many years since then…_' His mind trailed off as they continued their steady pace, he eventually catching up to her, then passing her as she slowed her own pace. He didn't realize it at all, so lost in his thoughts of her. Behind him, Raven couldn't help but think the same thoughts, surprised at how much he had grown from the experience with Terra to where they were now. From her view, she admired his tall, lean form, which was enhanced by years of workouts with Robin and Cyborg. Most of the time she knew he didn't need it as he did enough workouts when he changed forms so often during their battles. And even though he kept his trademark smile, haircut and skin color, she knew there was something different about him, too. He was, as she would call it, debonair. Not the kind of debonair like high society would think of, surely not what Starfire's people would consider to be royal or noble--not like a prince or baron or a duke, nothing like that. But sometimes, when she would observe him, she would take note of something about him that would be considered royal but not necessarily in the stuffy way. He exuded a type of confidence and calmness that he hadn't in past years. Yet she knew he was still Beast Boy through and through, cracking jokes at the most inappropriate times. She thought it might be his way of handling situations that made him seem so confident. The last time she had seen him down the way he was at that moment was when he learned of Terra's betrayal.

Inside her heart, she felt it twist a twinge as she thought about the Earthmover. She wanted Terra to pay for hurting her friend so badly, for breaking his heart--but what could she do to heal a heart that never beat for her? Even so, Terra had suffered enough for the both of them. Her "death" had scarred the fragile Beast Boy and since then, he hadn't ever really been the same, not even to her. Sure he tried to get her to do things still, but his usual spark had dulled considerably. Clasping her hands together beneath her cloak, she looked ahead as a building came into view, a dingy, run down looking shack that she visited often. At the sight of this Beast Boy snapped out of his wandering thoughts. He gave Raven a look of uncertainty as she proceeded to enter without him. When she did not hear him, she turned back to make sure he was coming in. He looked stumped as he scratched his head at the unknown before him. When his eyes finally scanned the place, he returned them to where Raven was waiting in the doorway, cape flapping in the sudden zephyr that swished by them. "Well…are you coming inside? I'm not sure if you'll like it but…" She trailed off.

"I'm-" His voice caught in his throat as she stood there, eyes solemn and impassive as always, one hand on the door bar, other hanging limply by her side. She didn't look like Raven to him at that moment; at that moment, he only saw a dark, fallen angel where she was standing. His mind was trying to process what was happening as he had seen her in the same position many times before. Either it was him or things were different, but at seeing her there in silent mystery that was her own, he could not imagine why her beauty had not penetrated him before. He had figured he loved her earlier but for some reason, it was hitting home hard at that moment, like a hammer to the head. The creaking of the door snapped him from his thoughts for the second time that night as he watched someone walk past her into the door. She shot him an irritated glance as she remained by the door in waiting. Finally, after what seemed forever, he found his voice again enough to answer her previous question. "Yeah…I'm coming."

"Took you long enough," came her sarcastic reply. "Besides…what's the matter with you?"

As they entered the building, he immediately spotted a stage with a microphone in the middle; a spotlight pointed straight towards it. Chairs were scattered around the raised platform with tables in place, some holding candles, others holding glasses with candles inside. People were seated at some of the table while others were randomly hanging out in separate corners of the spacious room or at the bar. Beast Boy's head swiveled to face the bar where he noticed people ordering drinks, most which appeared to contain caffeine such as coffee and soda. To his side, Raven was standing eerily still as she watched Beast Boy take in their environment. He seemed genuinely shocked at where they were. Coming up in front of him, she cleared her throat to grab his attention. Beast Boy snapped to attention for what seemed the millionth time in one night. "Sorry! Nothing's wrong with me! I'm just…surprised." She gave him a puzzled look. "Oh I was just…answering your question from earlier…you know the one…um…never mind." She continued to stare at him blankly. "Oh…um…so, care to show me how this place works?"

Raven nodded and led him to the bar where a young man, looking maybe a couple years older than them, was serving drinks. "Hey. I'll have some herbal tea."

"Sure thing. And what about you?"

"Me?" Beast Boy stuttered. "Oh um…I uh…I'll have an Herbal tea too."

Raven's eyes shifted to the side. "You like Herbal Tea?"

"Well…no," he replied truthfully. "I uh…I just don't drink coffee…or milk. You know me, vegetarian all the way."

"I think you're more of a vegan Beast Boy." She grabbed her tea and started heading for an empty table.

Beast boy followed her in awe. "Yeah…I guess you could say that." As he took his seat, he saw her staring at the stage. Silence ensued again but not one as comfortable as either young friend would have wished. Being the social one, Beast Boy tried to start a conversation. "Um…Rae?" She brought her gaze back to him, her deep indigo eyes meeting his as she held her steaming tea mug in her hands. She did not answer, just continued to stare back at him. "Um yeah…Rae, how come you brought me here tonight? I know that we're not that close and all…not to mention I annoy you…" Raven blinked at him and Beast Boy gulped nervously as he looked into his tea mug, stirring furiously with his stirrer. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…or ask I guess…Rae, do you trust me?"

Taken aback by the question, Raven took a quick sip of her tea and turned away, briefly. When she returned her gaze back to him she found him hanging his head as though he'd done a terrible thing. She stared at him for a moment in wonder as she contemplated how to answer him. When he lifted his head to glance at her she held his gaze again. "We're friends. And yes, you are annoying but…I guess…it's ok. If I am one extreme, you're the other."

Beast Boy released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Um…that's not quite the answer I was expecting but it'll do. I think I get it." He, too, took a quick sip of his tea, deciding to change the subject as he noted the atmosphere had become a little tense. "So…what's the stage for?"

"Reciting poetry…sharing stories…singing songs…this is a café." Raven looked back to the stage.

"Is this where you come then, to hang out with people like yourself?" Beast Boy knew he'd said that wrong but Raven didn't take offense to it. "Sorry, that came out wrong."

"It's ok. I understand. A lot of people tell me that. But truthfully…no, all kinds of people come here. I usually just listen though." She slid down in her chair the slightest bit. "Now, I have a question for you."

Beast Boy was all ears. "Yeah?"

"Why are you here with me tonight? You're so attached to Cyborg and Robin…it's just strange."

He leaned back in his chair, too, sliding down until he was eye level with Raven. "I guess…I know I was interested in knowing more about you Rae. In all honesty…Star has Robin, Cyborg has his gadgets…and me…I have no one. Besides…ever since we went in your mirror…I feel like I have to know you."

At first Raven felt defensive, as if Beast Boy was trying to trick her into revealing something about herself that she wasn't comfortable sharing. But as the minutes past, she found herself curious as to why he wanted to know her on a deeper level. "I see." He looked hopeful all of sudden but Raven shook her head. "I can't Beast Boy. I just can't."

His face fell in a matter of seconds. "But…why not? Rae…I just want to be a better friend. Why won't you let me in?" She shook her head again, saying no to him. He felt his face grow hot in anguish at her refusal, at her rejection. "I just want to be your friend Rae! How can I ever talk to you when you do not trust me? How can we be friends when you don't trust me?"

Her eyes flashed pure white as she pushed her chair back in a malicious manner, her teacup turning black and crashing on the stage. People screamed around her, running for the exit to the café as tables and chairs glowed black; the objects flew into the air above them. "I said I can't. Why can't you understand me when I say that?"

Beast Boy, not having realized the tables and chairs floating above them from Raven's rage, ploughed head on into the argument without a second thought. "I would if you let me know why you can't! You don't even have the decency to let me know why! You never tell us anything! I wouldn't have gone into your mirror if I did not worry or care about you Rae! I need you to tell me things! I need you to tell me because I care about you Rae!" At his last comment Raven dropped everything around her, the tables and chairs landing randomly about the room as she floated away from him, fists clenched in anger at her outburst. Thinking it was somewhat safer than before, Beast Boy ventured to ask her something. "Rae…are you…feeling all right now? Rae I-"

"Leave me alone." She threw him a distasteful glare as she ripped part of the ceiling off with her powers and left him standing in the middle of broken concrete and moonlight. As she flew through the night air, Raven felt her emotions welling up inside so powerfully she thought she might faint. Gathering her strength, she concentrated enough to smother them until she reached Titan Tower, particularly Rage, who was just itching to break free. In her mind, Beast Boy's words echoed repeatedly as they had from their previous argument. Shaking her head, she landed on the top of Titan Tower where all was silent. '_The others must not be back yet._' As she stepped inside, she saw that the living room was unoccupied. Taking a quick glance at her watch, she saw that it was getting late and most likely everyone would be arriving home soon, including Beast Boy whom she did not want to see. As if in response, she heard the door being opened then slammed from the entrance. She raced up to her room before anyone would have the chance to talk to her as she slid into bed, not wanting to think about what had just taken place at the café. But as she slept, for once, Raven could not escape the haunting words of her teammate.

She knew she would wake in the morning with the same feelings, and the very awkward silence that she wished to avoid would be in place. The other Titans would question them, bug them, harass them until they told; she would become seriously aggravated and things would explode. She was still thinking to herself when she heard footsteps traveling down the hallway, four pairs of feet to match them. She listened intently when three pairs passed right by her room, pausing only for a fraction of a second by her door. She knew it was Robin, Starfire and Cyborg; but the fourth pair stopped right on front of her door, unmoving. Without thinking she tensed, knowing well that the person outside her door was Beast Boy. At the sudden known on her door, Raven sighed and buried her head under her pillow as though she'd heard nothing. Again came the knock, this time more insistent. With an annoyed growl she sat up. "What do you want Beast boy? I'm trying to sleep."

"Um…it ain't BB. It's me, Cy. Lemme in girl."

Raven felt her cheeks on fire as she realized what he mistake would cause once she let him in. "Wait a minute. I don't let anyone into my room."

"Then we'll go down to the livin room." She heard Cyborg tap his foot in impatience, the thudding heavy from his metal foot on the softer padding of the carpeted floor. "Come on….it's already real late and we got stuff to do tomorrow."

With a reluctant motion of her head, Raven went through her door. Cyborg followed close behind her as they descended the staircase for the living room where none of the other titans were. Inside the comfort of the bleak living room, Raven set her book aside and waited for Cyborg to speak. He decided that staying in the darkness suited Raven and did not bother to turn on his armed flashlight. "Well, what did you want to talk about at this hour Cyborg? It seems a little late, don't you think so?"

Cyborg let out a small laugh. "Yeah, sure, I do. But you know what? This needs to get talked about." He smiled at her even though no light shone through the room, not even moonlight. "What is goin on with you Rae? You been actin strange ever since this mornin. Is somethin goin on that we should know about?"

"It's just one day Cy," Raven countered. "And no...nothing is going on, as you so bluntly put it."

Feeling that she did not want to address the issue in the first place and that delving deeper might anger her, Cyborg felt that it was time to end their conversation. He knew she wasn't interested in speaking anymore. With a curt wave of his hand Cyborg was gone, leaving Raven in the middle of the room on the half-circle couch. Se blew out an exasperated breath as she headed back towards her room where she knew sleep would finally await her. Halfway through her meditative walk to her room she heard a distinct yawn followed by sleep talking coming from down the hallway. '_Beast Boy?_' Her automatic thoughts of him peeved her as she scowled to herself, not wanting to accept the fact that she was indeed, and at least, "in-like" with the green changeling. Cracking her knuckles in irritation and nervousness, she quietly closed the door to her room, knowing that whatever tomorrow would bring her, it would definitely be something that she was not going to enjoy.

* * *

Across the hallway, Beast Boy was evading sleep. '_Or it's evading me,_' he thought as she tossed and turned for what seemed to be the hundredth time in five minutes. The fact that sleep would not welcome him was distressing enough; but the fact that he couldn't sleep because his thought were still focused on Raven made it even more unbearable. '_Does she even think of me half the time? Or am I just crazy?_' The night's events were still fresh in his mind, only now they were a festering type of fresh, the kind where something went wrong and the thoughts began to decay. He shook his head to try and rid himself of her image as he had in the morning but it would not budge. It was as though she was calling to him from a far away place, pleading with him not to forget her like everyone else did. As he slumped back onto his bed in defeat, he pictured her as she was during their rendezvous; calm, welcoming-at least for Raven-and almost completely human, at least in some aspects. '_Something about her tonight had been very different….more appealing than usual._' Beast Boy gave a small shout of utter defeat as he tried to stop reasoning with himself about her sudden change. '_This is Raven we're talking about…she doesn't just change…unless it was under my nose._' Over the past three years he had practically ignored anything that had to do with the changes in Raven or anything concerning the gloomy Goth woman because she had been right about Terra, and once again, he had been wrong.

At first he thought it was stubborn pride. But soon he realized it wasn't just that; it was also the fact that some part of him, a part he chose to ignore because he was not one who dwelled on bad thoughts, knew that Terra was strange that night they went out. When Slade had cornered them and revealed Terra for who she was at that particular moment, he felt Raven's words echo through his mind in a booming voice, like she was admonishing him for not listening to her. When he'd abandoned Terra and returned to Titan Tower, he remembered the look on Raven's face, as though she was ashamed for being the one that had to see it, to see him. She appeared almost afraid of what he would say to her. In fact, he'd said nothing, only threw her a glare of something resembling hate as he stalked off into his room where he would wallow in his misery at Terra's betrayal. '_Sometimes I guess I really am a fool…_' His thoughts ended abruptly when he recalled what had happened that evening. For him, it was one of the strangest happenings and perhaps the start of Raven's change, but he was too caught up to even notice it. He closed his eyes as that evening relived itself in his mind.

That evening she had come to him, alone, and slightly vulnerable, or as vulnerable as she could get. He had turned into a vicious Anaconda to try and brush her away, his anger surfacing from underneath his battered interior of pain and heartache. She seemed to sense this and did not press him to share with her or welcome her. She simply stood there, her face impassive as always; however, her hands were outstretched, as if begging him to let her in, to see who he really was. He had snapped at her numerous times after that, not believing she could understand him at all, not believing she would even try to understand him. Yet she continued to stand there, not reaching out more or less than she had before, her eyes darting between him and the floor. It was only then, when she brought her gaze back to the floor for what had to be the tenth time, that he felt himself changing back to his human self. Once he'd reverted he stood before her as she was before him, helpless and at loss of speech. His mind was whirling with thoughts that did not seem to have placed themselves correctly in the scheme of things that were going wrong or right. For lack of better speech, he spoke the only thing he could think of in such a moment. "Raven?"

As if by magic her head shot up to see him, to look him straight in the eyes. It hit him like a ton of bricks, the sight of how hard she was trying to control her feelings. In her eyes he could see her power struggle as she stared at him, the rest of her face blank but her eyes fighting not to tear. He imagined her eyes as a dam breaking, and the river overflowing-it suited her, he thought. "I'm sorry."

Her words hammered at his mind like nails. It shattered his horrid thoughts of her prediction. '_She's…sorry? But…why?_' His logical mind was wondering why she was apologizing for something that was out of her control while his heart was condemning her for being right about Terra. Instead of asking why, he just continued to stare at her, only mouthing silent questions with his gaping mouth.

She seemed to understand his pleas as she closed her eyes to regain control of her surging emotions. "Look…Beast Boy…I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come true. I would never…you have to understand…we're a team…you're my friends. I did it for the team. I never would have wished for it. I never did." When Beast Boy did not give her anything but a hard glare, she figured he did not believe her. She took a step back, not from fear of what he could do, but at what he was communicating to her through his face. "I'm serious…Beast Boy…I never-

His next action surprised her more than anything she'd experienced in years of being with the Titans. "No Raven."

"What?" Her astonishment at his actions had been quite evident. "I mean…I know I've been-

"Horrible to me, yeah, you have," Beast Boy replied as he turned away from her, tears welling up in his eyes. "But we're a team…like you said. We'll never work well together if we're not getting along, right?" He flashed her a brief smile, the first of many that would not reach his eyes. Raven had nodded slowly as he went on. "Besides…what Terra did was of her own free will. No one made her do it. I'm sure Slade persuaded her…but in the end…she chose to do it. And now…she's not here…she also chose that path too. It's no one's fault…least of all yours Rae." His kind words cut through her like a knife. '_Why is he being so nice…why? I don't deserve it!_' She loathed herself at that very moment. She had accused him of so many things and he had still forgiven her. Beast Boy could see the guilt written across her eyes as she gaped at him as he had her. She didn't want to believe it, he realized. '_How cam I make her realize I'm telling the truth?_' Various thoughts rushed around his head but one stood out from the rest. '_How can I make her believe me when part of me…doesn't believe me?_' She looked a bit apprehensive as he took a step towards her, still buried in his own thoughts. "I guess this means-

"Do you trust me Beast Boy?" Raven voice cut through his sentence.

He blinked at her in puzzlement. "Yes…of course I do Rae, you proved how trustworthy you were tonight." Some spitefulness crept into his tone and she winced. Beast Boy shrugged it off. "What does that have to do with-

"Well," she began muttering to herself more than to him. "I guess we can at least keep that…even if you don't forgive me."

"What are you talking about Rae? Of course I-

"I'll just be going now." She whipped around to make her hasty departure.

"Wait Rae! You didn't let me finish!" He ran after her, grabbing her arm. When she did not tense at his touch, he slowly enveloped her in a hug. Only then did she tense, but he was determined to make her understand. "I forgive you Rae…I forgive you."

By the time he finished recalling the event, he had the dopiest smile on his face, his eyes glazed over in slight happiness. '_That was probably the only time Raven let me hug her, willingly...I wonder why she did, too._' He felt his heart beat a little faster at the discovery that he had thought of Terra and not been saddened to the multitude he had before. Just the thought of the Sorceress was enough to calm him. As the flashback began to fade from his mind, he felt his eyelids become rather heavy at the sudden sleep that decided to finally welcome him. All thoughts of Raven faded as well, but not from his subconscious mind where they were kept locked up until he awakened the next day. Tonight, he thought all dreams of her would leave him, not haunt him as they did many nights. A decent night's sleep is what he craved, and for once, he was sure he was going to get it. His head hit the pillow with the softest of thuds; sleep had finally arrived.

* * *

Starfire was quietly sipping her customary cup of mustard at the table when she heard a sudden noise from upstairs. Her green eyes widened, on alert at the intruder inside the Titan Tower. '_But I thought Robin said intruders cannot enter Titan Tower.'_ With all the access codes and various security systems located throughout the T-shaped building, Starfire was sure that it must have been one of the other Titans, most likely Raven_. 'Friend Raven is usually the one who drinks tea in the early morning hours._' She glanced at the digital clock sitting above the stove. The bright green letters shone with the time: 2:30 AM. Yet the fact remained that the young tamaranian woman was not tired and had thus ended up in the kitchen for a late night drink. She heard footsteps approaching the kitchen and awaited the arrival of Raven. But the person that entered the kitchen was her least expected guess. She flushed a dark hue of pink as Robin entered the kitchen, went straight to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of milk, which had not been consumed by the blue fuzz that lived with their food. He didn't appear to have noticed her, mostly due to the fact that she was hidden in the shadows cast by the darkened room.

From her hiding place, Starfire relished in the fact that she could openly watch the Boy Wonder as he consumed his drink without a clue that she was there. She, although an alien, knew and had seen the changes in her teammates. She was sure that when she turned 18 that her home planet would request her to come back. And that they did. However, she had declined the request, instead stating that she wished to stay with her friends. Her secret harbored crush for Robin added to her decision, though she did not want to leave any of them. It was about that time that she realized that after so many years, Robin still had not a clue how she felt. '_But how does one goes about telling a secret of such magnitude?_' At one point she recalled having asked Raven, but the Goth girl had simply stared at her in awe before blushing and sending her away. She thought to ask Cyborg at one point in time as well, him being human and all; after all, he was like the big brother she did not have. Of course, Cyborg seemed to know everything and told her to just tell Robin how she felt. At that, she had blanched and turned an interesting shade of red, which, mixed with her orange tinted skin color, made an all-together strange shade. She did not even think to ask Beast Boy, knowing full well his sensitivity to that particular subject.

Then again, where most people thought she was helplessly clueless, she was quite on the contrary when it came to Beast Boy's infatuation with Raven. Starfire sensed something strange between them ever since Terra arrived, as if Raven had come to life and realized what was happening-not that she didn't already. It just seemed like she was in even more of a bind to unleash her feelings when the Earthmover entered their lives. Starfire frowned. '_Then again…she did betray us…poor Beast Boy…poor Terra._' And even though Terra had hurt them deeply, especially Beast Boy, Starfire could not find it in herself to be angry long enough-she was fashioned that way, her friends had said on many occasions. So now, as she was gazing at her team leader in awe, she began to realize just how much she'd progressed since her come to earth. Her mind practically drowned in the changes that took place around her. Just looking at Robin made it obvious. His ebony hair had grown longer, going just past his well-built shoulders in an almost triangle shape down his back. His trademark mask was in place, and after so many years, she still had no knowledge of his actual eyes color or what the shape even looked like. At the moment he was dressed in his recently redone suit, the one she'd seen when she'd traveled to the future but accident. The reason for him still being in it she attributed to the fact that he'd been working hard again and had fallen asleep in it; or he just forgot, which didn't happen often. In her mind it made sense since he hadn't even noticed her yet. After a minute more she decided that he needed to know she was indeed present, so she cleared her throat loud enough for him to hear and softly enough not to wake anyone else in the tower.

His head snapped to attention, the mask framing his eyes no longer drooping as it did when he was asleep. He scanned the area around him quickly, his head swiping from the left of the right of the room. "Who is that?"

"Robin, it is I, Starfire." When he visibly relaxed, she smiled. "What has brought you out of your peaceful slumber at such an early hour of the morning Robin? We're you having, as you earthlings call it, a nightmare?"

She heard Robin's low chuckle from across the table. "No, nothing like that Star. I just couldn't sleep. What about you?" He took another sip from the milk carton in his gloved hand.

Starfire gave him another small grin. "I could not sleep either. I decided to come down to the kitchen and partake in drinking my favorite mustard drink." She saw him cringe at the mention of mustard, but she had become fairly used to the fact that most earthlings did think mustard as a drink. '_But I am not an earthling._' He nodded to her as she pushed herself off the stool to place her cup in the sink, which always seemed to be overflowing with dirty dishes. "Robin, may I ask you a question?" He nodded again. "Will you accompany me to the store of food products tomorrow so that we may place more food inside the food contraption?" She heard him laugh a little as her usage of language. She knew all the proper words to use, like market and refrigerator; but for some reason, when she wanted to say them, it came out the way she'd just said. "Thank you Robin. I appreciate that you will lend me your companionship."

"Sure Star, no problem." She heard the distinct bang of the carton landing in the trashcan and Robin's footsteps walking around the kitchen. "Star?"

She jumped a little. '_I did not realize Robin was coming this way_.' She felt his presence behind her and she faltered a little, leaning over the sink, pressing her fingers in the plaster-like surface. "Yes Robin? Is there something you need?"

"Are you sure nothing is wrong?" He asked her in a friendly tone, hands resting on her shoulders. His hands were warm but entirely masculine as they rested on her bare skin, soft from the rubber of his gloves but strong from all his training. She felt her cheeks aflame as he slowly dragged them down her arms where they settled on her wrists, circling them gently. "Star, are you all right?" When she did not answer, he turned her to face him. Her emerald eyes were cast down to the floor, as though she was trying to hide something. Puzzled, Robin lifted her chin up with one finger while his other hand traveled back up her arm to rest at the crook of her neck. Her eyes were shining in the dim lighting and he could've sworn it looked as though she was crying. Instead, he found himself completely mesmerized by her sparkling green spheres as she peered into his mask that hid everything. No words were uttered as he leaned forward, not sure what he was doing at that moment. Just then, when he was about to reach her lips, their faces centimeters apart, Starfire heaved in a large breath and hiccupped. Robin would have laughed had the moment been less intense, but he found himself not being able to move further in or back up. "Star," his voice was low and breathy as he stared into her eyes. The moment had not been lost just yet.

Starfire shivered as his grip loosened on her neck, only enough for his hand to move up to cup her face. "Robin…I…"

Suddenly something above them shattered. Shards of glass littered rained above their heads as they jumped apart. Robin quickly glanced upwards to see the light fixture had been reduced to nothing. He ran a hand through his hair as Starfire leaned down to pick up pieces of the glass. He, too, leaned down to help. Starfire greeted him with a knowing look as they worked together in gathering the harmful pieces of condensed sand crystals. "It seems Raven is having bad dreams again…or something…" He trailed off as Starfire agreed. Second passed by before he was gazing at Starfire again as she cleaned up the mess that their teammate had caused. He was still staring at her, intensely and seriously, when she paused midway through her work to look at him. She seemed to be speaking but he did not hear her. "What?"

"I asked, I was curious as to what just happened before friend Raven shattered the glass? Did I do something to upset you? Is that why you were holding me in such a manner? Is that why you were staring at me so distastefully just now?"

At her confused question he snapped from his daze, shaking his head as he regained control of his body and thoughts. '_What the hell is the matter with me?_' He watched in sudden despair when Starfire hugged herself, dropping the glass pieces as though he'd just yelled at her. "Star, let me explain."

She did not let him finish. "I do not understand…why did you…why are you angry with me?" Tears shone in her eyes as she saw him raise an eyebrow at her. "Please," she begged. "I beg for your forgiveness friend Robin! I did not mean to anger you."

"Whoa, slow down Star. Who said I was angry?"

She sniffled and looked up. "I…it's just that…you were gripping my neck as though you were angry….and I thought I had upset you." Robin couldn't believe what she was saying; he shook his head. "Then you are not angry with me?" He grinned at her and she suddenly felt very self-conscious and embarrassed. "Oh…I…well, I hope you have pleasant dreams Robin. I must now return to my place of dwelling in order to receive the proper rest. Goodnight."

Robin watched as she exited. When she was clear out of view, he slumped against the lower half of the kitchen cabinets, heaving a great sigh at what just occurred. '_Man…things have been weird lately._' He pounded his head lightly with his knuckles as she stared at the forgotten mess of glass on the floor. Reaching for the nearest object, which happened to be a solitary role of paper towels, he resumed Starfire's unfinished work, assuring himself that what had just taken place was something that was not going to go without tension tomorrow-at least not on his part.

TBC…

{{Okie…that was my second chapter…and as of yet, I'm still not quite sure where this will go, but I hope it goes well; it might not be anything with action, like fighting Slade or anything. It's probably just going to be a getting together fic. Anyway, This chapter is my favorite so far; it was UBER fun to write! In any case, please R&R. BEAST BOY/RAVEN FOREVER! WOOHOO! And ROBIN/STARFIRE FOREVER, TOO! They are just totally made for each other, those two. Thank you. Bye all!}}

****

Darkkairi1


	3. Unreal Daydreams

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans so please do not sue me as I have nothing to give you. Struggling college student here. And I think you already know how I feel about the pairings.

_{{A/N: Okie, so here is chapter 3. Somethings are a little strange here, which seems to happen in every fic I write, and things will most likely get stranger. It's going to be a longer fic, I've decided and it won't just be about Slade getting at the Titans. Don't know about Terra just yet, but she might come back, she might not—it's all up to however the creative energy flows! For those of you who do not like Raven/Beast Boy or Robin/Starfire, I warn you…_**DO NOT READ THIS FIC!**_ You will be disappointed unless you're open to those pairings, and will most likely want to flame me, which would be stupid because I warned you. If you want to flame me, I guess that's fine. You'll do it anyway, right? Constructive Criticism is welcome, as always. Enjoy.}}_

Word Coding:

_'Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Everything else

**Inside the Silence **

There was a faint dripping sound that penetrated her slumber, even from inside the tower, which seemed to possess titanium walls, or so Cyborg had bragged. She tried to ignore the annoying sound, the pitter-patter of water; but it was consistent. After having tried to block it out for the past few minutes she finally gave up and sat upright in her round-shaped bed. Only then did she notice the water droplets sliding down her window and the bleakness of the sky outside her room. '_It rained. No…it's raining._' Her mere thought seemed to answer all questions for the day, but something didn't feel right about the sudden weather change. '_Is it already morning?_' Quietly, she stood and opened her door that led into the main hallway. She could hear all the different noises: beeping from Cyborg's room; Snores from Beast Boy's room; A slight humming from Robin's room; and lastly, girlish snores from Starfire's room.

Throwing her cloak hood over her head, she floated her way through the hall, down the stairs and into the living room where the digital clock sat on a secluded shelf. The flashing green lights read that it was indeed morning, slightly early morning; the clock numbers read 4:00 AM. The fact that she was up at such an hour was awkward to her. '_I need some tea.'_ Somehow, as she was filling the water in the teakettle, she felt the situation was vaguely familiar in too many ways and it irked her. '_Wasn't I getting tea when…Beast Boy came in?'_ She chanced a quick check over her shoulder incase he did come in but heard nothing. Paranoia crept into her thoughts as she watched steam rise from the small crevice that allowed it to leave the teakettle. She paid it little mind as she continued to stare, transfixed on something that did not exist in the room.

Around her the air was warm but extremely stagnant and she felt like choking. It wasn't enough to suffocate her, but the air molecules held her in a trance as she rested her hands on the cool surface of the tabletop. She looked down at her gloved hands, only half hidden by the material but her lavender skin still peeked out. '_My hands are cursed_.' Her thoughts went interrupted for some time until the teapot whistled angrily, signaling that her water was ready for usage. When she went to the cupboard to retrieve a fresh teabag she found that the cabinets were bare. '_No…tea?' _The time it took for her to process the fact that the cabinets were all empty was enough time for her to realize that she was not going to have tea later on that morning.

She released a low growl as she looked from the teapot to the empty cabinets. _'I can't believe Starfire hasn't gone shopping yet.' _However, her anger was short lived when she heard something hit the ground on the other side of the island table. '_What was that?_' Levitating up into the middle of the kitchen, she was surprised to make out the outline of their leader, Robin, slumped against the opposite counter, paper towels in hand and shattered glass littered next to him. She vaguely remembered hearing something shatter but wasn't sure what it might have been. As if on cue Robin slid even more upon the floor and mumbled something about damning Raven to hell; he also mentioned Starfire's name. '_I guess I did that then...' _He was still in his customary suit, she noted.

Tossing the tea-less box across the open space, where it landed squarely on Robin's head, she exited the living room in search of something to occupy her time. Sleep was lost to her at this point, and she was hoping that she'd not have another encounter with Beast Boy. The results of another excursion like that were not settling well in her whirlwind of a mind. When her leg had bumped into the couch, she bent over, hands searching for something as she ran them across the velvet surface of the half-circled couch. After a few minutes of looking, her hands came in contact with her desired object. Stretching her lithe fingers, Raven leaned over and plucked the small, thick book from the cushion she had occupied sometime ago.

There was no light, save the moonlight, that she could read in unless she turned one on. The thought of waking up their leader while he dreamt of Starfire was a risk she was not willing to take. So she sat, solitary, on the cushion farthest away from the kitchen, and contemplated. She was staring at the blank TV screen, nostalgia weeding its way into her mind, bringing back thoughts she did not want to remember, thoughts of Terra. '_I trusted her…I TRUSTED HER!_' Rage was itching to resurface, she knew; but Raven refused to allow her father's influence to overtake her again, at least not over Terra's betrayal. '_It's not a big deal._' She sighed as she backtracked in her thoughts. '_Yes…it is…I don't trust that easily._' Closing her eyes, she reclined a little, eventually falling completely sideways on the softness until she had splayed herself across half the length of the couch.

Her muscles ached suddenly, her eyes burned and her head hurt. '_What is going on?_' Around her the silence was deafening, striking her ears like white noise. Even with her hood covering her entire head, she could still hear every noise form the loudest music being blasted in Jump City to the faintest beeping of Cyborg's machines from a floor away. She was intent on ignoring all the noises around her but Robin's constant shifting from the on the kitchen floor kept interrupting her attempts. '_I know where to go._' Throwing herself upright, she rose off the ground and drifted above the stairs, higher than the floor where they all slept, higher then the evidence room, higher than the trophy room.

At the top floor she paused, briefly, to stare at the shining silver doorknob that matched the gleaming silver door that stood in her path. With a quick flick of her wrist the metal door creaked open, making the slightest whining sound as she flew through it and disappeared. Once out on the roof, she sat on the edge of T-Tower, legs dangling over the gaping space as she watched the few stars that were in the sky. The air was chilly but she felt nothing—absolutely nothing as she stared at the bright sky. Glancing down, she saw how false she looked with the moonlight bathing her lavender skin in its soothing lustrous light, making her skin look almost ivory or platinum even. Sudden thoughts of not being real jolted her back to reality, and she felt the chill of the night air again as it blew across her skin.

"Can't sleep, can you?"

Raven felt her heartbeat quicken. '_I didn't even hear him_.' Inside, she felt like she was going a million miles a minute, but outside she was cool and composed as always. "No…it stopped raining…I decided to come outside."

"It rained?" He glanced around.

Raven nodded as she searched for another dry spot for him to sit down on. After seconds of looking she found one about two feet away from her. '_That'll have to do._' She withdrew her arm from within her cape. "Over there…that spot is dry." She uttered no more words as Robin soundlessly took a seat where she'd indicated. She was one of few words, he knew, and there were no further questions as ask as they both stared up at the remaining stars in the sky. The sun was barely starting to rise. Raven could see the lines of color forming on the horizon from the top of tower. She awaited the usual calming feeling that enveloped her whenever she watched the sunrise but nothing came. Her eyes dimmed in confusion as nervousness swirled in the pit of her stomach.

Robin didn't seem to sense her turmoil as he sighed in content at the picturesque view before him. Something about the atmosphere didn't feel right though, and to check, he looked over to Raven. He quirked a brow at her. It was always strange to see Raven not as her usual dark, depressed self. But her expression was uncertain, fearful—scared. His first thoughts were to approach her to make sure she wasn't in a trance or anything of the like. But when he moved his arm she snapped to attention, her hazy, far away eyes focusing in his frozen figure. She did a double take. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm going to ask you that now. Is something wrong with you?" Even through his mask, Raven was sure he was giving her a concerned look. Robin himself couldn't quite understand why she was staring at him so intensely. "Raven? Are you sure something isn't wrong? You're acting kind of…strange."

Raven shifted her weight away from him. "No I…it's nothing. I just couldn't sleep."

At this point, Robin already knew she wouldn't volunteer any more information since she wasn't one to openly discuss much of anything that did not involve their daily crime fighting. Nevertheless, every now and then he did question her relationship with Cyborg. They acted so buddy-buddy sometimes—as buddy buddy as Raven could get—and they would even have talks. Ever since the incident where Raven helped Cyborg with his T-car, it seemed like the two could talk about anything in a way no one else could. He figured they'd made some special connection; all of them had made special connections. He with Starfire, Cyborg with Raven, Cyborg with Beast Boy, Starfire with Raven, even Aqualad had made a connection with various Titans. It made him begin to reevaluate what was going on in his life and what it was going to be like when they weren't Teen Titans anymore. _'We aren't that far from being over 18…any of us.' _To his side Raven was looking paranoid, as though something unknown was trying to attack her, something only she could see. Figuring that snapping her out of it might be the best solution, he moved and waved his hand in front of her blank face. Raven jumped. "Are you…okay now Raven?"

She sucked in a deep breath as she whirled away from him. She threw herself upwards before making a hasty exit. "I need to be alone. Excuse me."

Once in the safety of her own room, Raven sank to the floor, back against the door as she listened, intently, to the humming of the newly falling rain. The water slid down the window glass, fresh and slowly. She felt her fingers traveling to her face. At once her face fell into her hands, silent tears of confusion slipping down her lavender tinted cheeks. Her emotions were swirling inside of her mind, swirling so violently and rabidly that she found herself without the ability to sort them. Any minute now, she was sure something inside of Titan's Tower would burst because of her out of control emotions. The clock next to her bed flashed 5:30 at her, the blue light more eerie than the green light in the kitchen and living room. She could blatantly see half of the sun at the moment, the strips of color beginning to disappear as she looked through her window. The rain still fell. As if to calm her feelings, Raven clutched her face harder within her gloved hands, seeking a comfort that was not there. Her hair covered almost all of her hands and head, having grown longer, past her shoulders to be exact. She curled into herself, almost in a fetal position, as she felt the tremors in her body come faster, relentlessly. She cried out in fear as her air supply suddenly became limited, as though hands were around her neck, preventing anything from entering her lung passages.

And then, as if by some magical force, it was gone. The invisible hands, the tremors, the tears, the pain—the fear—it was all gone. She felt completely fine. Releasing her knees, Raven came to a half sitting position, hands on the floor before her and panting heavily, as though she had just battled with Overload or someone of the like. Her vision was no longer hazy but it was not clear; it was opalescent. A loud thud resounded around her, the more than audible sound barely making it to her eardrums. She made out the figure of someone standing in her doorway, but who it was, she did not know. As the figure drew closer to her, she could make out the color purple and black. '_Only one person wears purple and black…_' Her mind had just enough time to register the colors, enough time to reach out to the person; and her lips only moved once before she collapsed into the darkness, giving into the nothingness around her. "Slade…"

Opening his arms, the green changeling, whose excellent sense of hearing allowed him to hear her cry, caught the fallen titan. Raven's limp body lay in his embrace like a rag doll, lifeless and unmoving. Her hair long black hair spilled over his arm as her head hung over the crook of it. Her arms hung at her sides like deadweight, legs swinging heavily over the crook of his other arm as he held her. Although he was worried for her well-being and safety, Beast boy did chance one look at her while she lay in his arms. It was then that he noticed the subtle changes and delicacies that made up the physical nature of the empath from the curve of her neck to the contours of her body as he held fast to it. In her lifeless state she looked so tranquil, nothing like the Raven that he was used to seeing day to day, or the Raven he saw on the battlefield. His careful observation of her finer points was interrupted when the other titans entered the room. Robin was still in his fighting suit, Starfire in her pajamas and Cyborg with wires still hanging from their various inputs. Beast Boy blushed at the picture he created with Raven tucked away in his arms.

Starfire was the first to speak, concern bubbling over the surface of her usually cheerful voice. "Beast Boy, what has happened to friend Raven? Is she all right?"

Robin hurried to the two, Cyborg behind him and Starfire hovering above them. "She's out cold Star. Something tells me it's not just a simple type of sickness." He fell into leader mode immediately. "Beast boy, can you tell us what happened in here?"

Beast Boy stuttered. "N-no! I don't know anything. I just heard her cry out, and I rushed over here!"

Robin shook his head worriedly. "This isn't good. And just earlier this morning…I should've noticed."

"What happened this morning Robin?" Starfire was curious, as always.

Robin continued. "I got up from…" he blushed, recalling his early morning interlude with Starfire. "I fell asleep on the kitchen floor and Raven had come in to make some tea. Anyway…I met her on the roof. She'd been up there since around 4:30, I'm guessing. Well…she seemed…frightened of something I couldn't see…it just seemed strange to me. But when I questioned her, she just said she needed to be alone."

Cyborg blinked. "Uh…what were ya doin on the kitchen floor Rob? Ya didn't quite make it to bed?"

It was Starfire's turn to blush. "But what does this have to do with Raven?"

"Like I said…she seemed a little…off to me…I don't know," Robin replied in uncertainty.

Beast Boy ignored them as they tried to get to the bottom of the situation. On the inside he had a pretty good idea what was going on with their gothic friend. He glanced down at her, his right hand coming up to caress her cheek as she breathed in and out at a much slower pace than normal. _'He's after you again…isn't he Rae?_' She twitched as though she'd heard him, rolling to the right where she fell against his chest, still unconscious. He wrapped his arms tighter around her sleeping form, hugging her as though she'd vanish into thin air. '_Were you calling me Rae?_' His mind wandered back to the only thing she'd said before she'd fallen into her slumber. '_She said Slade…_' The name haunted them all, especially him, for Slade had ended Terra's "life" by making her part of himself. His grief over Terra's death suddenly returned ten-fold, and he kneeled further over Raven's body, cradling her to his chest like an anchor. "Not you too Rae…I won't loose you too."

Robin seemed to be the only who seemed to notice everything that was happening around them. He immediately turned to Beast Boy and gave him a questioning look. "Are you okay Beast boy?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to put Rae in her bed."

"Should not friend Raven receive some type of medical attention Robin?" Starfire queried from where she was floating above Cyborg.

"All her systems check in. All her health stats and monitors are respondin fine, too. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's fine. Nothin seems to be physically wrong with her." Cyborg double-checked the status bar on his arm. "Maybe it's mental…"

Robin shook his head. "It has to be that then. Something is very wrong here."

"I could've told you that man." Beast Boy placed Raven on the bed, gently lifting the covers so that they ended just below her chin. "Her breathing seems normal too, now. Whatever it was…it's not here now."

"More like WHO-ever it was. Something tells me we have a lot more in store than what happened tonight." Their leader made his way towards the door. "I think we need to patrol, take shifts. Who wants to go first?"

"I'll go," Beast Boy replied, not wasting in chance. He was by Raven's bed in a matter of minutes, soothing her and brushing back stray strands of hair from her face.

Robin arched a brow. 'If I didn't know any better…' His thoughts trailed off as Cyborg volunteered, then Starfire. "I guess I'll be the last one then. All right. Star, Cy, let's get back to bed. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"You mean that you are going to sleep Robin? You are not going to try and work on this case alone, right now?" Starfire's persistent questioning could be heard, fading down the hallway as Beast Boy watched the door to the empath's room slide shut.

In the time that followed, Beast Boy found himself constantly a nervous wreck. He couldn't seem to function, and any little movement Raven made was observed with the utmost carefulness, as though she would break or shatter before his very own eyes. Only once did she cry out in her sleep for the duration of his patrol, calling his name in panic. Her calling his name was terribly out of place in his own mind. She didn't thrash about or even twitch, signals that would normally show him how panicked she really was, which confused him. In his eyes she looked perfectly healthy but he knew to think otherwise. The pale light flooding through the open window outlined the contours of her face, illuminating her gray tinted skim. He couldn't tear his eyes away, even after her fluttered to the land of consciousness. She blinked, their gazes locking automatically. Something about him seemed different. Raven found herself leaning towards him as she resumed a semi-sitting position. For his part, Beast Boy had already grabbed hold of her hand, his free arm curling around her back for support as he brought her closer. With their lips now inches apart, gazes locked and breath intermingling, Raven felt her body tense. Beast Boy made to move back but decided against it, pulling her closer as their uncertain lips met in a frightened, unsure kiss.

Raven's eyes slid shut as her arms raised to wrap around his back, fingernails digging into the stretch material of his body suit. Immediately he pushed her back against the headboard of her oval-shaped bed, hands cradling her gently as he pushed his lips even more against her own. Part of her was condemning her actions but the other part of her was rejoicing in the feelings it brought. She carefully loosened her hold on his back, bringing her hands to his shoulders in an attempt to bring him to her, to meld him to her own body. She crushed herself to him, legs wrapping around his waist as he parted his lips in a surprised gasp. Tentatively, she ended the kiss, resting her forehead to his, eyes still tightly shut. He was panting heavily, awaiting her response to what had just occurred. She spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Beast Boy?"

He nodded his acknowledgement. "Yeah Rae?"

"I…" she found it increasingly hard to speak suddenly. "What just…"

"It was my fault…sorry," he replied solemnly, hands now resting on her hips as she gripped his shoulders between her lithe fingers. "I can leave if you want…get someone else to do my shift."

Raven shook her head. "No I…"she blushed. "I…liked it."

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Um…"

She didn't give him a chance to respond as she brought her hands to his face. "More…please…" With her hands cupping his face, she guided it to the crook of her neck and shoulder. With one hand she undid the clasp of her cloak hood, pulling it away to reveal the soft, supple skin of her lavender neck. "Beast Boy…please…" He obliged, lips pressing against her soft flesh. Raven released a soft sigh at the sensation it created, shiver running up and down her spine. She concentrated hard, trying to keep her raging emotions at bay, all which were pushing to break free. Her train of thought was broken as she felt him suckling at her flesh; she ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm herself. "Beast Boy…"

At the sound of his name he snapped back, staring at the sleeping Titan before him. '_It was…just a dream…?_' He let out a heavy sigh of disappointment, hanging his head.

"Are you sick?"

He jumped as he looked into the eyes of the empath. She looked tired but alert, as always. "Rae?"

"You were muttering and moaning. Are you sick?" She asked the question with more fervor.

He blushed. "It was nothing. Just…nothing."

Raven seemed to accept his answer as she turned away from him. "What happened to me? I feel…strange." She coughed. "And you're in my room. No one is allowed in my room."

"It was an emergency. Besides…I've already been in here and in your mind." Beast Boy gave her a weak smile even though it hit her back. "You went unconscious before anyone could reach you."

"Did I say anything?" Raven's tone sounded guarded.

"Yeah…you said Slade."

Raven spun around. "Did you tell the others?"

"No," Beast Boy replied. "Robin would have still been up."

The ebony haired Goth relaxed visibly, settling back into the navy blue sheets that adorned her bed. She rolled towards the window, facing away from the green shape shifter who sat next to her bedside. "Why are you here?"

"I volunteered for early patrol." He grinned again.

"Why?"

"I…wanted to," he answered simply. From the within the darkness she blushed, her skin on fire as a light fixture on the ceiling shattered. Beast Boy took this as a sign that she was indeed angry with him; he refused to budge. Instead he ventured to ask what the problem was. "Are you angry with me Rae?"

"No…I'm not." Her response came out slightly muffled but he heard it clear enough. "What time is it?"

Beast Boy glanced at her digital clock. "It's 7:00 AM." He chuckled. "Seems like no one is getting sleep these days."

Raven felt her lips curl into a hidden smile at their own accord. A silent sigh escaped her throat as she registered Beast Boy's hand rest on her shoulder, sliding over it in a comforting gesture. "I think my shift it over Rae…see you later."

Reluctantly, Beast Boy took his hand away as Cyborg's heavy footfalls could be heard fast approaching. Raven gave no reaction as the olive shaded changeling disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. She heard the mumblings of the brief conversation between Cyborg and Beast Boy before the door to her room slammed shut. "Hey little lady, how ya feelin?"

She rolled her eyes. "I feel fine. Cyborg, what's with all the patrol stuff?"

"We were hopin you could tell us Rae. Ain't nobody know what's goin on. Rob is worried." He sat down in the chair Beast Boy had previously occupied. "Rae, do you remember anythin?"

She shook her head. "No…but Beast Boy said I did mention Slade's name before I blacked out."

"BB heard you?" Cyborg scratched his head. "Any reason why you'd say Slade's name?"

"No idea," she said truthfully.

"Why didn't he say that earlier?"

"Robin," Raven said. "He didn't want Robin up all night. You know how he is when it comes to Slade."

He laughed. "Well, from what I know, he was up anyway. Both he and Star were actin peculiar earlier."

She huffed as she sat up. "Don't tell me…I think I have a pretty good idea what you mean." She stared at her friend as the half-human titan eyes her suspiciously, his cybernetic eyes lighting up suddenly. "What? Is something wrong?"

"Is there somethin goin on between you an BB?" The question caught her off guard, causing her cheeks to burn and one of her many books to explode to pieces. Cyborg whistled. "Well…guess that explains that. So…does he know you like him too?" She didn't answer. "So are you gonna tell him anytime soon? I mean, Rae, that's a big deal! How do you know BB don't like you back?"

He was cut off as she faced him, eyes a bright, menacing white as she threatened him. "If you tell ANYONE, I will make sure you never speak again, got it?"

Instead of being scared as he usually was, he chuckled and hooted. "Yeah, yeah…sure, whatever you say Rae."

"I'm serious," she said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, I know girl."

The fact that he was not taking her seriously was really bothering her. She frowned as he continued to laugh at her, poking jokes at her and Beast Boy having a romantic date and so on. In her own mind, she was doing a pretty good job of ignoring him. '_Isn't Slade dead? I'm sure he died with Terra in the volcano._' Her mind began to panic again as thoughts of Slade being alive erupted freshly, causing her great discomfort and pain throughout her entire nervous system. She remembered Slade saying something about Terra and he being linked together through their nervous systems. '_If he's alive then that means…terra is alive…_' The thought of Terra being alive caused her to grit her teeth in anger, in jealousy, in worry. She refused to let Terra hurt Beast Boy again, lest the earthmover try it—if she was even alive. For the life if her she couldn't understand why she would say his name. Were the feelings she felt intense enough that she no longer needed direct contact or meditation to sense them? It irked her, the fact that her powers were changing and she had not a clue until it became too late.

She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to rid herself of any thoughts that might include her former enemies, seemingly intent on trying to stay away from that part of the past. She couldn't bear it if Terra returned; Beast Boy's emotions would be the end of her. Not to mention the fact that she was so intent on finding a way to reveal her own feelings for him; it would be a disaster. She felt her hands subconsciously clenching into tight fists, ones she'd like to drive into Terra's head lest she came back, but more so into Slade's head if it meant she was resurrected. But then, as she sat there blocking out the incessant laughs of Cyborg, she began to, once again, feel sorry for the poor blonde haired ex titan. Something about Terra was good, she sensed, even if she did choose the path of evil. '_She did really care for Beast Boy, didn't she? But…she betrayed him._' Her conflicting thought and emotions suddenly took a 360-degree turn and she hung her head at the horrible things her mind was yelling to her. She didn't want to believe any of it, to accept any of it either. She only wanted to end all the horrible things that happened, to change what the past had done to them.

'_But why would they resurrect now? It's so late…_' Three or four years after their deaths seemed a strange point in time to just come back and create chaos. Something told her there were more forces at work here, maybe ones that were not even remotely human; maybe forces that had been at work ever since that fateful day. She chanced a quick glance at Cyborg who appeared to be checking his arm stats. She heard the small patter of feet, then a loud knock. '_Who could that be?_' Her question was answered rather quickly. "Friend Raven? I have come for my patrol shift. By chance, is friend Cyborg in there? It was supposed to be his shift."

"I'm here Star. Just checkin Rae's stats one more time before I jet." He threw her a friendly smile and patted her back lightly. "All right Rae, see ya. Don't forget, we should talk to BB about this later."

She shot him a death glare as Starfire opened the room, allowing him out and her in. "Hello Starfire."

"Friend Raven, it appears as though you are much healthier than I had anticipated. Perhaps you would like some of my Pudding of Joy? I made it especially for this occasion." Starfire held up the bowl of orange-green type pudding, which bubbled and popped for a moment before settling back into the ceramic container. "Would you like a spoon?"

Raven shook her head, disgust creeping into her voice. "No thank you."

"Well, then, is there anything I can do for you, besides my already assigned duty of watching you?" Starfire's green eyes were alight with mirth.

"Yeah…" she muttered. "Let me get some more rest."

"As you wish it Raven! Then, after you have received the proper rest, we may talk, perhaps?" The tamaranian's eyes were hopeful as she stared back at her fellow demon titan.

"That would be…nice," Raven replied with a small smile as she sunk into the sheets again, her thought swiveling back to Slade. She knew there was something wrong. '_Something is _very_ wrong here…'_

TBC…

{{Yeah! Third chapter, finally! I feel like I've accomplished something! Okie, so nor there might be stuff like fighting Slade and new enemies, cause that's where it seems the story is heading, whether I planned for it to or not! This chapter was interesting to write; I had fun with it. Um…I hope you all liked it too! If ya did or didn't, let me know! If you're wondering why the update took long, read my author profile—it gives info and what will be happening in the future! Please R&R! Thank you. Bye all! All my reviewers rock!}}

**_Thanks to: _**

**__**

_Kestrel: Yes, BB/Rae FOERVER, that's for sure! Thanks for the review!_

_Soraoathkeeper: I tried the linkie but I'm not sure how it works. It wouldn't let me in, even after I joined. I'm a little confused, but thanks for giving me the link anyway! Thanks for the review!_

_Crazyfreak-o-maniac: No worries. I will continue. Thanks for the encouragement._

_Jess: I will! Don't worry! Thanks!_

_Snowlax: I'm sorry snowlax! I know it's kinda depressing…but it'll get better! It's just how the mood is right now!_

_The big fisch: Thank you! I'm glad you thought that way of it and look forward to more chapters._

_Saikyo: the youkai priestess: I take it you like Star/Robin then? I do too! They're such a cute couple together! Rock on and thanks for the review! I appreciate it!_

_Exiled-knight: Thank you for giving it a chance at least. Do you live Raven/Robin, or Terra/Beast Boy? Not bad pairings, I read them myself. Thank you so much though!_

_Demigod: Thank you! I appreciate the feedback!_

_Kelly beanz TLTSI: Thank you! I enjoy writing, even if I didn't have enough talent to do so. _

_Winter Distortion: Thank you so much! Ah…I get starry eyed every time I read a fanfic like that or when I watch the series!_

_PurpleRave: Oh, glad I could make you so happy! Thank you muchies for the review! I am really glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you'll like the rest!_

**Darkkairi1**


	4. Walking on Broken Glass

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans so please do not sue me, as I have nothing to give you. I'm a struggling college student here. And I think you already know how I feel about the pairings.

A/N: Yay! Finally, chapter 4 is here! There are little quirks in here, it's a bit more racy in the sex department, but only a bit; not to mention that there are some plot twists and unexplained happenings right now. Those have to wait for the next chapter! It's going to be longer, which I said before. I think this is going to involve Terra, if even for a few moments throughout the story. For those of you who do not like Raven/Beast Boy or Robin/Starfire, I warn you…**DO NOT READ THIS FIC! **You will be disappointed unless you're open to those pairings, and will most likely want to flame me, which would be stupid because I warned you. If you want to flame me, I guess that's fine. You'll do it anyway, right? Constructive Criticism is welcome, as always. Enjoy.

Word Coding:

'Thoughts' 

"Speaking"

Everything Else

Inside the Silence 

The usual deafening silence that encompassed Titan Tower was back in place when Raven roused up at 8:00 pm. Not a sound could be heard throughout the entire tower; Raven shuddered. '_Where is everyone?_' She'd merely lifted her head an inch when someone pushed her down. "No Raven, you're still too fatigued to be going anywhere right now."

"Robin? Where is everyone?" Her indigo eyes swept her room.

The Boy Wonder, now quite a man, waved a hand at her. "Star is making more Sadness pudding down in the kitchen, Cy is in the garage, and Beast Boy is…believe it or not, sulking in the living room."

She felt a pang of guilt. "Oh…"

"He doesn't quite seem himself these days." Robin looked at her as though he expected her to say something, but when she said nothing, he spoke again. "Neither have you." She paled. "Care to share what's been going on? I know Beast Boy didn't tell me what happened here. Does it have anything to do with him and what happened last night?"

She released an annoyed sigh; Robin was persistent, just like a leader should be. Folding her hands in her lap, she spoke only one word. "Slade."

"What did you say?"

"I said Slade."

"But Slade is dead…" Robin's incredulous look could not be hidden behind his mask. "We killed him. We all saw it."

"Did we?" She asked. "Robin, we saw a mask, not Slade." He did a double take, glaring at something she couldn't see as he paced her room. She felt oblique somehow. Parts of her body didn't seem to be functioning correctly, or normally. Her legs and arms felt cramped all over, her neck sore and skin on fire for unknown reasons. Robin was still pacing menacingly around her pitch-black room, feet anything but quiet. "Being angry won't get you anywhere," Raven chided in irritation. "Stop pacing."

His constant pacing came to an abrupt halt before her bed frame. Raven glanced up at him. "Thanks Raven. Come down when you feel better?"

She nodded. "I will. Call Cy up for me?"

"Sure thing Raven," he replied, giving her a brief grin before making a hasty exit into the hall.

Moments later she clambered out of bed, wobbling her way towards her dresser where her mirror lie, covered beneath a soft, thin-layered, velvet clothe. She stared at it, numbly, as though she wasn't sure whether it was safe to enter it or not. _'Slade…I don't understand._' Part of her was baffled as to their sudden connection; she'd never had such a bond with Slade in previous battles or instances. She shivered at the information, her fingers twitching as the mirror shook within her hands. Quickly she placed it on the nightstand closest to the dresser, afraid she might drop it and shatter her very existence, not that at that particular moment she felt like living. Her mind hurt, in truth, and she progressed back to her bed in a slow fashion, as though she might fall over, never to return. Her heart beat wildly in her chest at the sudden footsteps outside her door; she frowned. Loud knocking at her door awakened her from her momentary panic. She glanced to the door, her previous paranoia ebbing away as she replaced her cloak upon her head as though to protect herself from anything that invade her room.

"Raven, it's me…you called. Girl?"

"Come in," she answered, response partially muffled because of the fact that her head was buried in her pillow.

Cyborg took one look at her and sighed, shaking his own head at her. "Rae, girl…you feelin aight? I'm worried bout you. This is hittin you harder than I thought."

"This is NOT about Beast Boy, Cy," she growled in response.

He immediately backed off, more than knowledgeable about Raven's fiery temper and the consequences if it was released. "Ok…so…what's it bout?"

Raven looked perturbed. "Slade…this is about Slade." Cyborg nodded. "From what you remember, he never had a purpose or reason for using me for anything, right?" He nodded, again. "That is what I don't understand. What connection do I have with Slade? He's always wanted Robin for things—never me. Besides…what could he possibly gain from me? I'm empathic and with him trying to control me, my emotions would run amuck and I might not stop them. He must know how dangerous I am to him, and to all humanity…" She trailed off mid-sentence, realizing full well what she had just said. "I am dangerous…I'm the perfect tool."

Her half-human friend stood up then, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That may be so Rae, but I think there's more to it than just this."

"What more could there be?" She curled into herself, arms hugging her knees in fright.

Cyborg sighed. "I get what your sayin, but I still have my own questions."

"Like what?"

"Like why he was resurrected after all these years? It's been four or five years now—it must be somethin else. I don't believe Slade would return without a purpose, and havin been connected to Terra, that would mean she's back too." He paused, inhaling a large breath. "Somethin tells me that there is something very wrong. If Terra's alive…and Slade's alive…"

"Then someone has been meddling in things that he or she shouldn't be meddling in!" Raven finished her sentence with a tone of anger and hatred that showed only when Dr. Light had been in her clutches. She pushed the feeling down immediately, smothering it, as it would awaken her father as it had last time. Carefully, she released her legs and stood up, beckoning for them to depart from her room. "Come on Cy. I think we need dinner."

"You look hungry all of a sudden," he joked back, slapping her back in a brotherly manner, causing her to fly forwards a little because of his strength. She growled again as they exited her darkened room, making slow descent of the staircase. "Sorry girl, guess I don't know my own strength."

"No, perhaps you don't," she replied lowly. "But I know mine."

"I think that was a threat," he joked.

"It was," she bit back.

He released another heartfelt chuckle as they made their way down the staircase that lead to the family type room. Upon entering Raven immediately spotted Beast Boy hanging over the side of the couch. The gamestation controller had slipped from his hands, his legs halfway on the couch while his head hung over the back of the ledge. His expression was disturbed, something Raven had only seen once before. On the TV screen, in large red letters, a sign that read 'Game Over, You Lose' blinked brightly, and both Titans could only assume that Beast Boy was not having a good day. To lose to the computerized console was bad, even for him. A small, sympathetic cord was struck within her, and she turned away to avoid the feelings that were threatening to resurface and create chaos in the tower.

Cyborg had already entered the kitchen, she noted, as she heard Starfire squeal in delight at some joke he cracked with Robin. She was almost to the kitchen when she heard a soft groan from behind her. She cautiously turned to see Beast Boy waking up, rubbing his eyes roughly with his gloved hands, as though his eyes would never open again. She paused, momentarily perplexed at how maliciously he was attacking his olive skin; but she quickly turned away when his glistening green orbs popped open. She made a hasty getaway to the kitchen, resuming her walk of determination, when Beast Boy called out to her. "Raven, is everything all right?"

She halted again, cursing herself as she nodded absently to him, not willing herself to face him. "Yes."

Her simple answer sounded as though it pleased him, for he walked past her into the lively area where their friends were laughing and joking about. He did not even glance at her. She felt her heart twist in annoyance and some form of pain from his lack of attention towards her. Shaking her head, Raven tried to rid herself of the constant jealous feelings that were aching to break free of her iron grip. She knew nothing could ever come of how she felt, knowing the only result would be disaster and danger for the whole group. '_Unless I was…cleansed, somehow, of my father's influence._' She shook her head. '_It could never happen…never._' Figuring that what she told herself was more than the truth, she, too, headed into the kitchen where Cyborg was cooking up dinner and the usual argument between the vegan and meat-eating friend was not taking place. Instead, Beast Boy sat on one of the many stools surrounding the buffet style counter, head resting against the cool surface as Cyborg rattled off his special menu to Starfire and Robin. She thought it odd that no one else questioned Beast Boy's abnormal state, finding that his motionless demeanor was driving her insane with worry that she could not possibly express.

Raven blew a stray strand of hair from her eyes, concealing her face, once again, underneath the mask of her cloak. No one seemed to question her either. After taking her seat, she waited calmly as Cyborg whipped up something that smelled delicious, especially to her grumbling stomach. Robin and Starfire were talking endlessly, as always, while Beast Boy continued to remain almost lifeless against the plywood surface of the counter, his forefinger the only thing moving on his entire body. He appeared to be fascinated by the small semi-circles his fingers were making on the glossy top. Just looking at him made her want to burst into explosive screams of frustration. She couldn't understand why he was not cheerful, aside from the obvious.

Nevertheless, it irked her so much that she pushed her chair back, turning away just as Cyborg placed her cup of herbal tea before her, a plate of food following shortly afterward. At first her impulse was to run away but she could feel their stares upon her back, burning through her façade, especially Beast Boy's. She was amazed that he had even taken time from his hypnotic activity to look at her. She cracked underneath the weight of their gazes, eventually turning around and sitting, faking that she had been adjusting her cloak clasp.

When everyone seemed to buy her excuse, including the reluctant green metamorphic, she settled into her chair. She threw the food a disgusted look as she sipped her tea, not the least bit interested in the delectable meal her friend had prepared for them. She quietly pushed the food towards Cyborg's side, which he wolfed down as though it had been his own plate, not once ever noticing that it was not his plate. She glanced to her left as Beast Boy poked at his tofu burger with blatant disinterest, his normally joyful wide eyes holding anything but their usual warmth. Her heart wrenched for a moment as she gazed at him, fingers curling around her teacup to control herself.

Her effort was short-lived as a random plate from the sink cracked and slammed against the wall across from them. Robin raised a brow as Starfire let out a strangled squeak while jumping behind their fearless leader. Cyborg paused mid spoon-in-mouth to see what the commotion was about. The only one who had not even bothered to pay attention was Beast Boy, who was still preoccupied with stirring his soymilk in the clear glass next to him. Not once did he ever lift his eyes to look at them. Raven felt her cheeks aflame beneath the protection of her hood, thankful that it provided such shadows over her burning face. All was silent until a quiet voice interjected, interrupting the atmosphere.

"Are you angry?"

Raven spun around to face the titan who sat still, not even glancing at her as he spoke. "What?"

"Something is bothering you," he replied, finally looking at her, their eyes meeting. "Or else that plate wouldn't have cracked."

"I'm not angry," she retorted with more force than intended. It was Beast Boy's turn to raise an eyebrow at her. She blanched for what felt like the hundredth time in one day as she nodded. "I'm just…I need to be alone."

Everyone looked as though they accepted this answer as she made her way to go. She was almost to the staircase, her body on the other side of the half-oval couch when she heard him speak again. "You always want to be alone. When are you going to stop using that excuse?" She felt her face aflame again, immediately scowling from inside her hood. "When are you going to tell us what's up with you? When are you going to start sharing with us…your teammates, your partners…your friends?"

She spun around, eyes ablaze as they had been the other night in the café. Her face only flamed more when she realized that Cyborg, Starfire and Robin had suddenly disappeared from the room. Just she and Beast Boy remained, facing each other. His arms hung limply at his sides, face solemn and lips in a small frown. She expected him to be upset with her, distraught that she had hurt him in such a way. But he surprised her again, as he had been doing for the past three or four years. He looked determined again, his eyes hiding nothing as he began to walk towards her again. Instinctively she took an awkward step back, practically tripping over her own two feet.

He did not back down, only inching closer until he had more or less backed her up into a wall. She was amazed at his bravery as her back hit the cold, patched wall behind her. She turned her head away as his arms came to rest upon either side of her face, hands planted firmly against the wall as he leaned in close, too close for her own standards. However, she found herself unable to push him away as they resumed their staring contest, indigo eyes blazing back at olive green. She felt as though they were battling as enemies did, but she knew Beast Boy better than that; he was trying to probe her mind through her eyes.

It was true that he had been in her mind and that should give him an idea; yet there were always so many more mysteries that could be found in her cyclone of a mind. She knew he would be the one to break them too. When he would achieve this, she did not know for sure. "I already told you," she whispered defiantly. "I cannot tell you."

He creased his brow as his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Raven, tell me about…Slade."

She did a double take at his inquiry, her head falling back to the wall in slight disappointment. "Slade?" He nodded, allowing his arms to loosen from their cramped position on the sides of her face. However, he did not make a move to place them somewhere else. Raven inhaled deeply as she thought of what she had told Cyborg. "He…contacted me…I guess."

"Why?"

"He needs me Beast Boy…as a tool…as a weapon," she responded monotonously. "At least this is what Cy and I have speculated."

"But Slade is dead, isn't he?" Beast Boy's perplexed look was met with equal puzzlement.

"That is what we originally thought," Raven said with a mystic tone. "But I would disagree now, with what I have felt."

"But if Slade is alive…then…" Beast Boy's voice trailed off, but Raven could read his thoughts rather well at this point. She turned away, fighting the snarl that threatened to overtake her.

"Yes…it means that Terra is indeed alive."

The young shape shifter closed his eyes. "Praise…thank god…she's safe."

"Yes, indeed she is, it would seem." The bitterness slowly crept into her voice, alerting Beast Boy from his temporary thanks of the higher beings. "I have to go. If you don't mind, would you please move your hands so that I may leave?"

He wouldn't budge, and for some reason Raven found herself less than obliged to move him. "Does it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"The possibility that Terra has returned…does it bother you?"

Raven laughed hollowly. "That would imply that I was jealous in some way while she was here." Beast Boy gave her an expectant look. Raven's eyes widened. "You're kidding me. I've never been so insulted."

"Is it that far fetched for me to think that Raven, really?" He persisted, grabbing her arm as she slid away from him. "Is it so bad for me to ask you such a question?"

"Yes, it is!" She snapped as she struggled to get away without using her powers on him. The truth of the matter was that she was indeed jealous and bothered by the fact that the earthmover may have returned. Her insides were quivering with anger, sadness, jealousy, and uncertainty as Beast Boy's grip on her arm held firm. She felt as though tears of anguish would burst form her eyes at any point, and she was not willing to show Beast Boy that side of her. She hated vulnerability. When he did not relent, Raven became slightly more panicked and hysterical, raising her hand with glowing black energy at her fellow teammate. "Let me go Beast Boy, I demand it." For a second she thought he would oblige her but when he still did not relent, she spun around to face him, her eyes glowing white-hot fury. "Let me go!"

The force of which he answered her with scared her into temporary submission. " No! I am not letting you go as though this is something you can run away from forever!" He pulled her close, crushing her to him, their lips inches apart. "Raven…I don't care…you need to know that. Whatever happened back then…I don't care."

Raven dared to speak, her voice shaky. "What are you talking about?"

"Terra, Raven. I don't care…she doesn't matter anymore. She never did," he said as his hands slid around her back.

Raven stood paralyzed as he hugged her. "But you were…Terra was your-

"No Raven…she never was." He looked into her eyes, seeing clearly that she was fighting hard about whether to believe him or not. "Raven, believe me…please. She was my friend."

"You can't Beast Boy, you can't-"

Her response fell upon deaf ears as he leaned forward; his lips met hers in a tentative kiss that made her feel weak. She tried desperately to break away, to stop the chaos that would ensue if she kept kissing him; but it was too late. She gave into him, sinking into his arms as her hands clutched the material on the front of his body suit, kissing back. Only seconds into the kiss did she hear cups shattering around them, and more of Starfire's distant petrified squeaks. She tried to pull away, tried to stop the disastrous consequences of their actions that were echoing around them but he would not allow her to. He pushed her back against the wall, crushing himself to her for closer contact if it was humanly possible at that point. He was intoxicating her, driving her beyond her reasonable senses.

Her emotions were itching to be released now; she could feel them bubbling at the surface of her control, slowly coming over the brim. She pushed at him, urging him to stop, which he did, but only his assault on her lips. The moment his lips left hers, they roamed over her neck, kissing a light trail. Breathlessly, Raven fought for control over her warring feelings as more objects were destroyed around them and chairs began melting along with various other objects. "Stop Beast Boy…" He didn't seem to hear her words, which were, by the seconds, becoming pleas more than actual statements. "Please…stop…Beast boy…" Once again he didn't appear to have heard as he continued to pillage her skin as though he was starving.

Raven gasped as he hit a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. Her hazy vision suddenly snapped back to focus as she heard Cyborg shout and Starfire scream. Automatically she threw Beast Boy away from her, falling back to the wall, clutching her cloak as she tried to regain control of her emotions, all which had obviously broken free. Beast Boy looked ashamed as he backed away from the empathic as she struggled to become the dominant power. Her eyes glowed white for what seemed the third time in a ten-minute timeframe before she collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. Beast Boy ran to her, hoisting her into his arms as she continued heaving with labored breathing. Her eyes fluttered for a moment as if registering who was holding her before her world turned into an oblivion of black swirls. All fell into silence.

He felt guilt swell up inside him as she passed out in his arms from over exertion. He knew what he was getting into when he kissed her. He knew how her powers got out of hand when she was emotionally bothered in any way. The outcome had not been what he expected and he was somewhat melancholy from the occurrence that took place seconds before. He vaguely heard the footsteps of his fellow teammates enter the living room area as he picked the fallen Raven up in his arms, reliving the experience from earlier when he'd discovered her in her own room. Somehow everything felt like dejavu whenever it came to Raven and anything that involved her.

He couldn't help a small smile that formed on his lips, surprised that he was even able to be mildly coherent at the present time, what with Starfire's constant shrieks and Robin trying to calm everything down around them. The commotion was enough to drive any normal person insane, not that any of them were actually completely normal, he thought. Cyborg was checking the living room for anything that might be broken and need reordering as Raven's emotions tended to melt a lot of tables, shatter numerous lights and splinter plenty of chairs. At least recently that was the case.

But now, Beast Boy surmised, he knew the reason why she was slightly upset. The whole Slade ordeal was sitting heavily on her shoulders. Yet he hadn't realized just how much it was affecting her, emotionally as well as mentally, until she admitted what she told Cyborg to him when he'd cornered her seconds before. Even then she seemed hesitant to reveal anything to him, as though telling him might break some type of pact she had with their half-robot friend. And now, with what he had just done, he felt as though things were just going to get worse and tension would rise ten-fold in the Tower.

He chanced a glance behind him only for his eyes to meet those of his frustrated, uncertain leader. His own eyes widened, not ever really seeing Robin uncertain, as it was not a leader like quality, not to mention that he had rarely seen Robin in such a state. But after one look at the disarray within the congregating room, Beast Boy figured things were only starting to stack on Robin's shoulders as well. "Wow," he thought ironically, "None of us are ever going to be free from this terror known as stress." For the first time, in a long time, everyone, with the exception of the unconscious Raven, smiled at his half attempted joke.

As he made his way towards her room, Cyborg clapped him on the shoulder playfully, like they used to. "Good to have you back old friend."

"Yes, indeed it is." Starfire giggled. "Please keep joking as you have just done, friend Beats Boy. I have dearly missed your sense of humor, as you earthlings put it."

Robin shook his head good naturedly, a small smile on his face as well. "Good to have you back Beast Boy."

For his part, Beast Boy returned their smiles with one of his own, a true genuine one he hadn't used in years. "No problem." But upon entering Raven's room, his mind shifted elsewhere as he looked down at the sleeping young woman in his arms. His worry for her came speeding back as he gently laid her on her bed. '_Where do we go from here Raven? I don't think I can face you after what just happened…_' She murmured something as though to respond, but whatever it was he did not hear it. Instead she rolled over, which caused her hood to fall back into place, shielding her from his view. Beast Boy let out a long sigh as he collapsed back into the chair that had conveniently been placed by her bedside for patrol. His tired eyes began to slide shut, and this time, he hoped he would dream of nothing for the sake of his sanity.

* * *

Robin slumped against the cool surface of the refrigerator as he rubbed his forehead, his head aching for relief. '_What just happened?_' All he remembered was being in the kitchen with Cyborg and Starfire before beast Boy and Raven had joined them. Shortly afterwards Raven had her little outburst and Cyborg had suggested that the three of them depart to let their fellow teammates figure out whatever the problem was in privacy. What had happened after that was completely unexpected. Robin had only discovered that something was wrong when his cup of cocoa that he'd placed next to Starfire suddenly shattered, spraying her with the lukewarm liquid. She had not been burned, merely surprised and baffled as to why the cup broke so unexpectedly. It was then that Cyborg knew something was wrong, however, they did not make it in time to see what happened.

They reached the staircase just as the green changeling, who looked worried, was picking up Raven more than guilty of anything. However, Robin still felt slightly suspicious of what had been going on between Raven and Beast Boy for the past few days. He suspected that there was something deeper there. '_Maybe Beast Boy…and Raven…but it just seems so strange between those two._' He knew of the odd attraction between them early on, as well as having been informed by Cyborg who seemed to know everything. But he didn't think it would reach such heights. At this point it seemed like more than an insignificant little crush or a simple infatuation. The way they looked at each other when they thought others weren't looking was enough to prove that, he'd recently seen. His first thoughts were that they had done something more, perhaps even consummated their relationships in some other way.

But it seemed irrational and Raven was not irrational. Of course, then he had discovered what had been bothering her, and it was irritating the hell out of him. "Damn him…he should've died those years ago!" Before he knew what he was doing, Robin had slammed his fist into the refrigerator, creating an imprint in the aluminum surface.

At that moment Starfire chose to walk in, a cup of cocoa in her hand, which she promptly dropped at the noise. She was startled to see the dent that her leader had made in the refrigerator. Immediately she rushed to him, grabbed his hand and examined it for cuts, the cocoa forgotten. When she found none, she lifted her head to gaze into questioning, puzzled eyes. "Robin, you are…not hurt." He nodded. "Then…what everything is…all right?" He nodded slowly again. Starfire sensed that something was not okay but knew better than to press any issue with Robin. Like Raven, he was rather secretive at times, especially about his past. "If you need to talk Robin, I am here to listen, friend. On Tamaran, it was customary for me to listen to the problems of many people. I am an excellent listener. I am willing to listen to you Robin."

Robin couldn't help but smile at her show of kindness and compassion, especially when it was combined with her innocence. "I know Star. I'm all right. Thanks."

When he said nothing further, she assumed that he needed her for nothing else as well. She gave him an unsure look before she turned to leave the kitchen. "I hope everything is all right Robin." She was almost halfway out the door when he called out to her. "Yes?"

He paused, momentarily speechless as to why he called her back. When he remembered, he made his way towards her. "Starfire, we need to talk. Would you like to get some pizza?"

"Will it consist of my favorite toppings?"

His face scrunched up at its own accord as he replied. "Sure Star, whatever you want."

She giggled happily. "Thank you Robin!"

As they made to leave, Robin gave Cyborg the heads up to where they would be. He also asked the half-human to check on their other friends, noting that Beast Boy had still looked slightly ill and that Raven needed her stats checked. Downstairs in the garage, Cyborg wiped a smudge of his T-car, a half-hearted smile on his face. Deep down inside, he felt like something was not right, and they were not going to know when to expect whatever it was. As he began waxing his car for the second time that day, his mind began the boggle known as friendship.

TBC…

WOOHOO! The fourth chapter! Okie, so now Slade and Terra are here for sure, and things will be getting tricky! This chapter was hella fun to write and think up as I was writing it; I had an awesome time with it! If ya did or didn't like it, well, you know the drill! Sorry it took so long…there's just been drama around the computer mess! Oh, and as a sidenote, _Thoughts of Zephyr _is on hold because of plot issues! Please R&R! Thank you. Bye all! All my reviewers rock!

**Darkkairi1**


	5. Tower of Gray

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans so please do not sue me, as I have nothing to give you. I'm a struggling college student here. And I think you already know how I feel about the pairings.

A/N: Wahoo! Chapter 5 has crashed the building! There are going to be new enemies; the max will be 2, I think. Yes, Slade is alive--he's just not here yet; well, at least not in the flesh. However, most of that stuff will have to wait for future chapters! It's going to be longer than I originally planned, so we'll see how it fills out, eh? This will eventually begin to have Terra in it, as I've decided she will be in it, indefinitely. People will begin to understand why. For those of you who do not like Raven/Beast Boy or Robin/Starfire, I warn you --> **DO NOT READ THIS FIC! **You will be disappointed unless you're open to those pairings, and will most likely want to flame me, which is fine—even though I warned you. You'll do it anyway, right? Constructive Criticism is welcome, as always. Enjoy.

**Word coding is as follows:**

_'Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Everything else

**Inside the Silence (****Tower**** of ****Gray)**

Robinstared intensely at the young woman before him. Starfire had barely touched her pizza as her luminous emerald eyes gazed back into Robin's mask, for she could not see his eyes. Neither spoke, not sure whether it was safe to discuss the topic of their friends in such a happy atmosphere. It seemed that the High School kids were having a late night pizza party; the parlor was more than packed, which was why Starfire and Robin were perched on the roof. The aroma of freshly baked edibles drifted into their noses, filling them with some comfort and warmth that no longer seemed to exist within the walls of Titan's Tower. Starfire spoke. "Robin, does this issue involve friends Raven and Beast Boy? Do they have, as you call it, feelings for each other?"

Her comment, though innocent, caused Robin's stomach to churn in discomfort as he turned his head to the night sky, choosing not to face her. His feelings were resurfacing, he knew. "Yeah Star, this has to do with them...and so much more, like Slade."

Her almond shaped eyes widened at the mere mention of their arch enemy's name. "But he has been dead for many years! Robin, I do not understand..."

He sighed heavily as her hands fidgeted with each other, his mind suddenly anywhere but the topic of Slade Wilson. He cursed his thoughts as he fought for control of his emotions. To his luck, Starfire was battling a heinous war of her own, one she had never experienced in all her years of being a Tamaranian on earth. She, too, was struggling to understand the changes going on in her body and mind. She had noticed that over the years, things between her and Robin had steadily begun to change—not big changes, but they were definitely there. She didn't know what to call such changes since she was not from earth, but she knew that they left her feeling slightly uncomfortable and edgy. '_This must be this concept of…maturity that earthlings speak of so often._' All around her things were beginning to change at such an alarming pace that she had started questioning what had made the changes even start. It was as if a domino effect had taken place; it irked her. Starfire was not that new to earth anymore, and yet some things still left her in complete confusion and wonderment. For example, Robin's behavior tonight had left her curious; was he avoiding her on purpose?

It was true that he had taken her for pizza but they had hardly talked or interacted until she'd opened her mouth. Robin had barely spoken the entire time they'd been out; she felt as though they'd accomplished nothing. Starfire gasped at Robin's touch as he motioned that it was time for them to return to the Tower. In front of her, Robin was readying his motorcycle, carefully placing the helmet on his head. He reached for the other helmet, adjusting the straps on it before handing it to Starfire. She accepted it slowly, as though she was not aware of her surroundings—Robin was puzzled. '_Something is…off…_' He brushed the thought away as they both mounted the motorbike and headed for home, the wind whipping violently through Starfire's fiery red hair. As she clung tighter to Robin's frame, she squeezed her eyes shut in hopes to block out the voices that had suddenly begun to plague her.

* * *

The slight humming from the garage went unnoticed by most of the occupants in the Tower, save for one. Cyborg sat tiredly upon an empty metal crate next to his toolbox, eye half closed. His ruby cybernetic eye continually ran systematic scans of the surrounding area. His mind felt weary of all around him as he listened to the macabre silence that had settled on Titan Tower like a blanket over the past few years. His thoughts drifted to each titan, each of his friends: Robin, now Nightwing, Starfire, Beast Boy...Raven. His whirlwind of thoughts focused on the apathetic empathic who lie in her room, visions full of nightmares. Over the years since her joining, Raven had become like a sister to him, a person who he could talk to when he needed it. He smiled, remembering what he'd discovered about Beast Boy and the quiet Goth woman. '_But when Raven feels..._' His joyful musings came to a violent halt at the obvious pain it must have caused her to hold such strong emotions inside, as demonstrated earlier. He ignored the incessant beeping of his status monitor, which displayed positive results on his system check. His mind was elsewhere. 

He didn't know exactly what had transpired between his two teammates, but he did figure it was bad enough that Raven would destroy things. Normally he would do inventory type work only if Raven's temper flew off the handle; it was the only time she'd melt practically everything in the tower. '_It's only a matter of time before she melts the entire tower,_' he shook his head as he began stacking car parts into their proper places. Starfire and Robin were out, he knew. However, he knew nothing of the whereabouts of Beast Boy and Raven. Automatically he would assume that after the incident hours before, that Beast Boy would have placed Raven in her room, and then retreated to his own room out of shame, which had been happening a lot lately.

Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the situation than either was letting on, not to mention that he felt like Beast Boy had not returned to his room as he usually did. Taking a quick run around the room, he made sure everything was in place before making his exit to the upper levels of the living space. As usual, the living room itself was quiet as a tomb, the kitchen not too far off except for the pleasant drone of the refrigerator. '_Cleared,_' he thought.

Carefully, he made his way up the steps to where all the occupants of Titan Tower resided when sleeping, or when they just did not feel like seeing anyone. He passed Robin and Starfire's doors with relative ease, knowing full well that they were not present. At Beast Boy's he paused, double-checking to see if the metamorphic was in his room. At the sound of even snoring he nodded and headed for Raven's room. At her door he pulled up his left arm to check her stats, glad that he'd upgraded so he would not invade on her space while she slept peacefully, he hoped. Her system scan checked out—she was normal, at least, in her vital signs. Mentally, as always, he knew to think otherwise. He glanced to his room, then, to Raven's again, his eyes lingering on the cool metal surface for mere minutes before walking to his own door. Once inside his room, he plugged in all necessary cords into his inputs as he settled down on his metallic recharge bed. He knew he'd be doing a lot of pondering in the very near future, but for now, he felt rest was the best solution.

* * *

Beast Boy sat down on the stool for the 3rd time in one minute. He had been pacing in the room for over an hour, his mind heavy with worry about the young woman sleeping before him. Had she been sleeping peacefully he might have left hours ago; but that was not the case. Raven had been tossing and turning for well over a few hours, clearly from nightmares, but she had not awakened from the terrible visions she was having. He tried to soothe her, every now and then running his fingers through her purple-black hair in a soft manner. He hoped she would calm down, but every time he touched her she cried out in pain as though he had burned her. He recoiled as she suddenly thrashed about, her arm flailing in his direction as she struck a vase off her lamp desk. 

She suddenly shot up through her covers, sending half of the satin-like material into the wall from her outburst. She clutched her heart through her leotard, fingers gripping her chest as though it might leap from its cavern. Her breathing was labored, her chest heaving with every breath she took as she kept her eyes closed tightly. At first Beast Boy thought she had noticed him, but when she did not acknowledge him, he cowered back into the shadows of her room, unsure of whether now was a good time to confront her about their interaction earlier.

Raven stared blankly as Beast Boy gazed off into space, neither wanting to really face each other. Her mind was anywhere but the room; it had drifted off as she turned her stare to her hands. Her head hurt, along with every other part of her body. She vaguely remembered shrieking before she blacked out, but all other memories were a blur. She didn't even recall why she had passed out in the first place, but she suspected it had something to do with the changeling who had moved next to her bed. He had been extremely quiet since her awakening, not offering much information as he stayed within the confines of her bleak room. Her thoughts were running haywire with the possibilities their situation presented. Beast Boy coughed, which made Raven jump ever so slightly. She blushed when he turned to her.

"Rae, are you feeling better?"

"Sure...why wouldn't I?" She knew he didn't believe her. "Look, I am fine. My body is a little sore...otherwise...I'm just fine. There is no need to worry."

Beast Boy shook his head, looking utterly defiant, which had become somewhat of a norm for him as of the past few years. "I'll worry all I want."

"Listen, I don't want to have an argument again." She sighed as he began standing up. "Just drop it."

"Raven..."

For her part, Raven was restraining from screaming as the pain that erupted through her body intensified ten-fold, her body feeling as though white-hot fire had encompassed it. She inhaled a large, shaky breath as she awaited the agonizing feeling to leave her. Instead, it seeped deeper into her veins like poison, making a slow path through her bloodstream. What she hated most was the fact that her body felt so weakened, something she never liked as any part of her, whether it was physical, mental or emotional. She was about to stick her arm out to keep Beast Boy at bay but he came no closer than he already was, his apprehension breaking into her shield. She knew he thought that she hadn't felt him when she had indeed; she was just under quite the amount of pressure. Controlling her feelings around him was getting harder by each second; as the days progressed, it would become increasingly difficult, she knew. To resolve her conflict, she kept herself turned away from him as she spoke. "Beast Boy, I need you to leave."

His jaw dropped. "What? But Raven..."

"Leave." Her voice traveled throughout the room, breaking the deafening silence that had started to suffocate them. Her voice echoed off the walls as she watched Beast Boy back away like a wounded animal.

"Fine," he said as the door to her room hissed open. "Whatever you want...I'll do it."

His hesitant steps caused her heart to clench within her chest from pain, but she brushed it off, as it was crucial that he leave her alone. With that he was gone, leaving Raven to the solitude of her dreary room. She ignored the sadness that crept into her body from Beast Boy's emotions. Once he'd exited the room, Raven curled into herself again, reliving the pain she'd felt from last time. She hugged herself, feeling a deadly cold creep into her skin as she felt slow tears trail down her cheeks. '_Beast Boy...I'm sorry...I just can't feel...it's too dangerous!_' Without realizing her emotions, Raven was surprised when her pillow exploded, spraying her with goose feathers. She cursed heavily as the white feathers settled all around her; thankful her cloak concealed her from the offensive objects. '_Great...just what I need._' She recalled everything from Beast Boy coming to her 'supposed' rescue, to her so-called encounter with Slade; or at least whom she felt was Slade.

A part of her was begging Beast Boy to come back, sweep her up like a princess in his arms; but that was never going to be their reality, even if they did decided to consummate some sort of a relationship. Raven sighed again as her hands began to gently pluck the feathers from around her, discarding them somewhere far away from her, most likely on the side of the bed in a small pile. Her mind was so far from the actual feathers that she didn't even notice that she had stopped picking up the horrendous white objects; she'd been picking at air. Her fingernails curled around the soft, silky material of her remaining sheets as she pulled them away.

Everything around her appeared foreign as she regained capability of her legs, standing gingerly as she realized what time it was. '_Everyone should be asleep...it's so late._' The digital clock showed its bright blue numbers in her face, the beeping blaring from the small speaker on its side, and she felt a sense of dejavu from a previous time. Removing the clasp to her cloak, Raven threw the heavy cape to the side as she made her way towards her private bathroom, all thoughts of anything except Slade lost to the wind as she turned the hot water knob to the left. She slowly turned the cold on as well, a little more than the hot water so that it came out tepid. She never felt hot showers were good for anyone; she opted for lukewarm.

Underneath the water she let her mind wander, not able to focus on one thing in particular. Even the water running over her bare form went unnoticed as it cascaded over her hair and shoulder. There was no steam as it was not particularly warm but the atmosphere leant to strange comforting warmth of the eerie sort. Raven found herself wondering what was to become of her rampant, destructive feelings. She wanted desperately to be free, to express that which she'd been denied for years on end. Her mind drew a blank as she reached out for Beast boy, searching for him throughout the entire tower. '_Surely he must have gone to sleep, what with it being so late and all._' When she persisted but found nothing she felt her fists clench against their own will. _'Where is he?_'

Whether her emotions were of anger, upset or worry, she did not know. She tensed as the water suddenly turned scorching hot, burning her skin. '_Who the hell turned on the water?_' She immediately did a search. The culprit would never suspect anything. '_Robin...? What is he doing up so late?_' She sensed Starfire as well; both their auras were troubled, she noted. _'Maybe they're returning from a late night outing_.' Starfire's aura faded from her scope, as did Robin's as Beast Boy's came surging through like a whirlwind. She clasped the shower rail as the intensity of hisemotions nailed her right in the core of her being, pummeling her soul-self with such power that she almost collapsed.

The fact that he felt so strongly about something startled her enough to scare the wits from her mind; she breathed unsteadily. Her heart was pounding with curiosity from whether his emotions were caused by something terrible...or her. '_I know he feels strongly for me...in some way._' Since she recalled nothing of their previous encounter she was still rather uncertain about where they stood aside from friendship. Raven let out a steady breath as she balanced herself on the edge of the shower, her arms clutching herself in protection of some horrible outer force. '_I want him to love me...but even if he did...what could come of a love such as ours?_' She felt slightly dramatic about the dilemma as though she'd created an alternate world, a fantasy world. '_But...isn't that my reality? I can't feel...I can't feel..._' An image of her father flashed harshly in her mind as she pondered what might occur if she allowed herself to release the feelings she held for Beast Boy, to act on the desires that lay deep within her heart, mind, body and soul.

She blushed again as she gazed out through the opalescent shower curtain, not really noticing its foggy surface as her hands reached out, instinctually, for the shampoo bottle. She quirked a brow when she discovered it was not in its usual place by the showerhead rack. '_That's odd...I could've __sworn..._' she trailed off as she noticed it sitting to the far left, slightly above the soap. She shrugged it off as she grabbed the bottle and squeezed a large dollop onto her outstretched hand. Lathering her hair with her hands, Raven found that her skin was prickly beneath the water's pounding–like a massage. She relaxed more than before as she let herself go. '_This isn't a bath, but it will do._' After that would ensue the routine of the day, hopefully in relative normalcy but lately, she was never sure.

* * *

Once inside the security of the Titan Tower they both headed in separate directions, Robin to take a shower, Starfire to the kitchen. Inside the eerie quiet of the sterile like room she went straight to the refrigerator and began picking out ingredients. "I shall make some pudding, a new one to Tamaran!" She spoke to no one in particular as she grabbed a rather large bowl, round and deep, to place the horrific concoction in. As she added items she noted the brilliant yellow color it had taken, mostly because of the amount of mustard and eggs sitting in its core. "I shall call it the Pudding of Confusion. I shall partake in it to perhaps heal my own confusion!" She grabbed a heaping amount onto her spoon and shoved it into her mouth, gagging as the taste seeped into her taste buds. Her stomach churned as the toxic combination settled in the pit of her digestive track. She burped loudly. "I shall not partake in anymore of my new pudding. I have the feeling of sickness now." 

"Starfire, who are you talkin to?"

The bowl of pudding was in the air; in a matter of seconds it was on the floor next to her, the yellow liquid oozing out of it. A small squeak escaped her throat as she knelt to clean it up. "Beast Boy, you have startled me out of my…bones…is it?"

"Um…actually…it's your skin," he replied with a small smile.

She blushed. "Oh…yes of course. It would seem as though I have…fouled up, as you call it here." Starfire mopped at the large puddle with the paper towel in her hand. "What is your need Beast Boy?"

"I was uh…just getting a glass of water." He watched as Starfire wrestled with the dirty paper towel, still trying to clean up the entire mess with the same one. "Here Star," he handed her the roll. "Try using more than one. That should clean the mess pretty well."

"I am most thankful to you Beast Boy," Starfire responded with eagerness as she accepted the roll of paper towels. When she was done with her task at hand, she rose from the floor and threw her teammate a questioning look. "Why are you still present here? Surely you must be tired, dear friend."

He hung his head as he fell against the nearest counter, heavy with grief. "I am tired Star, more than tired. I just don't know what to do. I can't sleep…no matter how hard I try."

"Shall I help you with your problem?"

Beats Boy peeked an eye at her. "How can you help me Star? I don't think anyone can."

"I do not believe this to be true, friend. If you need to talk to someone, I am always available to listen. I am willing to be the…shoulder…you lean on?" She appeared confused for a moment, unsure if she had used the correct phrase for the situation. At Beast's Boy's nod she felt relief flood her. "I am glad to help you friend." She seemed downcast suddenly. "I have tried to help friend Robins with this but he only pushes me away. And I thought it had something—" Her statement trailed off. Beast Boy knew better than to press a flustered Starfire, knowing it would only make her confused beyond all reason—and teary eyed in the end. When he said nothing more she proceeded to listen. "I am ready to listen when you are ready to speak."

He released a heartfelt sigh as she patted his back with her clean hand, relieved that someone wanted to listen to him—for once. "Thanks Star." He slumped into an unoccupied chair next to the table while she seemed content to float next to him. "It started off as nothing at first and then it began to build up, I suppose. Plus, at first it didn't really concern anyone but now…it's mainly about Raven." He was puzzled when Starfire nodded as though what he was telling her, which was relatively new information to him, was old; but he shrugged it off. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…well…I don't know what to do about her. She's so complicated and she never lets me in. Even when I try my hardest to be her friend she continuously pushes me away as though I am just some ordinary person—not even a close friend or teammate. Do you remember when that thing with…what was his name…Malchior, do you remember that instance?" Starfire nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that for example…I apologized…and I thought she forgave me when she hugged me and all. But then she went right back to ignoring me…treating me like I'm nothing but a silly, young boy. It hurts me Star, it hurts a lot." He sighed again, shaking his head as he pushed his glass of water to the side, no longer caring to drink from it. "I'm sorry to dump all this on you as though you're my mother Starfire. I'm really sorry."

The Tamaranian female was oddly quiet, and for a moment Beast Boy thought she had departed mid-pleas. "Raven is indeed…complicated, as Robin has explained to me many times before. I do not know whether nay of us will ever understand her the way you wish to, including yourself. However, I do not think Raven does not care for you at all, Beast boy. I do believe you are, at least, her friend. She just has a hard time…expressing these…emotions." He thought she would begin a scolding, as Starfire was rather motherly a lot of the time, but at the sudden arms around his shoulders, he knew otherwise. "As for you, I am not unhappy or bothered that you have "dumped your problems" on me, friend. I am glad to help, even if I cannot make your situation better. I am happy to be your friend and to listen, always happy."

The Green Changeling gave her a weak smile as he welcomed the hug and affection that he wished Raven would bestow upon him. He was in no position to complain about lack of attention when Starfire was willing to give it so freely, and so genuinely. Unbeknownst to both the clueless Titans, two pairs of eyes watched from the hallway. Above them Raven was glaring daggers, fuming at Starfire and angry that Beast Boy had eagerly welcomed the other young woman's embrace as though he cared for her more than platonically. Across from Raven, hidden in the shadows and clad only in his towel, Robin's clenched fists had turned white as he stared at the spectacle his fellow titans were making down in the kitchen. He knew nothing other than jealousy; and wanting to beat Beast Boy senseless for having the pleasure of being wrapped in Starfire's loving, warm arms.

But minutes after he had the thought, it disappeared, replaced only by shame, sadness and some type of anger. He knew he could not hold such animosity for the metamorphic especially with the knowledge that his friend was infatuated with their resident Goth. '_If I'm going to be angry, the only right I have is to be angry with myself…for being such a coward._' He wanted so desperately to bash his head into the nearest wall for letting his leader façade down when it came to his personal life. '_Why can't I take the same charge and control when it comes to you…Starfire?_' For her part, Raven had let out a small growl of what she liked to think was disgust but knew was pure jealousy before stomping back to her room, luckily unnoticed by the other occupants below he.

Meanwhile, Starfire continued to soothe the dejected young man in her arms. "How will Raven ever know that you ache inside unless you allow her to see this side of you? Perhaps it will be wiser if you tell her."

Beast Boy sniffled like a lost child. "She knows Stare, she knows I care for her more than anything…she knows I…that I love her." Starfire tensed suddenly. "No Star, don't worry about it. Even if she loved me back…she can't love me…she won't allow herself to love me…" Slowly he began to peel himself away from the comfort that he simple gesture had flooded him with as he began a slow trek from the kitchen to his room. "I'll see you tomorrow Star, and hey, maybe I'll take your advice." As he neared the door, he turned and gave her one last small smile. "By the way, thanks…thanks a lot."

She nodded in return as he vanished around the corner of the doorway that led to the stairway. Once she was sure h was gone, she released a low sigh of confusion. "As the earthlings here say, I do not know by the heavens what I have gotten myself into, and I am beat," she muttered to the remnants of goop still collecting on the remaining shards of the ceramic bowl. "I only hope that beast boy will find a resolution if mine cannot help…and that friend Raven will also confess that she is indeed—" She paused. "Well, I hope that she does not hide whatever it is that feel…at least not for too long." As she began to throw the pieces of glass into the trash can, she let her glance wander to the hallway above them, her eyes curious. _'I wonder if anyone saw us._' With a slight shrug, Starfire exited, switching the lights off as she went. Titan's Tower was engulfed in a darkness that had been creeping up over the years.

TBC…

(Well, chapter five took me longer than I thought it would…but hey, here there you have it. It might seem shorter than the other, and for that, I'm sorry if y'all like long chapters. They usually just end where they end…which it seem I have not control over. This chapter was a little tricky when I was doing it, but I hope you all enjoyed it! If ya did or didn't like it, well, you know the drill! Sorry for the wait…but at least you wouldn't have to wait till I get back to school! Thank heavens for email and me having millions of copies of my rough drafts! ANYWAYZ…Please R&R! Thank you. Bye all! All my reviewers rock! Chao babes!)

**Darkkairi1**


	6. Resurrection Tower

_Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans cause thing would be damn different if I did. Anyway…this is for entertainment purposes only since I have no money to give any of you if you decide to sue me. I'm a struggling college student, for real. I might have some lint and chocolate if you want. Can't imagine why you'd want that though._

A/N: Things have changed! Well…Terra is finally here and Slade has remerged. Don't know exactly what he's doing though. The pairings are now Terra/Beast Boy/Raven (don't worry…she'll be here for only a little bit as his potential lover or whatever, but I'm not going to bash her, all right? I like Terra for the most part—disregarding her in the actual comic books: didn't like her there), Robin/Starfire/Aqualad (well, if I DO end up having it…this might be in future chapters!) and Jinx/Cyborg/Bumblebee (because he needs loving too…and it works!). So, if you aren't open to those pairings, then I warn you à Do NOT read this fic, I highly recommend that you don't if you hate those pairings! So…that's it for now, besides the new enemy entering the picture, and Trigon! Welpers…I'm out for now! Chao all! Enjoy the fic!

Word Coding is as follows:

_'Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Everything else

**Inside the Silence **

The next morning was like any other. All was more or less quiet, as this had become the norm as of three or four prior to the present. To the naked, untrained eye and ear, things would appear as though they were following the same humdrum routine that everyone in Titan Tower had become accustomed to. But for Raven Roth, demon sorceress, not everything was as quaint and right as it should be. As she sat in her bed, sheets pulled up to her chin, arms hugging her knees, Raven felt an eerie silence settle over the Tower. She was sure everyone else was sleeping in their beds, comfortable and without a care in the world. Yet she sat stuck in her spot, upset by everything that had occurred moments before in the kitchen. She knew she could have tried to give Beast Boy the attention he wished for. '_But at what price? What would've blown up?_' And so she sat alone, somewhat depressed and in despair as the actions of her decision weighed heavily upon her shoulders. '_Such is life…such is freaking life…_'

Outside her room, unnoticed by almost all occupants, Beast Boy stood staring at her door with some strange fixation. From his own doorway Cyborg could see his young friend but said nothing. '_I shouldn't even butt in on this one_,' the metal teen surmised. He reentered his room quietly, thankful that his friend had not seen him. Beast Boy continued to stand outside the Goth's door, hand resting against the cool metal surface. The young changeling wondered why Raven hadn't opened her door to yell at him yet. '_Usually she would have sensed me by now…_' On cue Raven's door hissed open to reveal the Goth who was giving him one of her famous deadpanned looks. He stared back, not really sure what to say to her. When she said nothing to him in return, he only allowed the quiet around them begin to suffocate him. Her eye twitched and he snapped out of his reverie of admiring her. He chuckled half-heartedly as he raised a hand behind his head, scratching—something he did when he was nervous.

"What?"

He stuttered. "Nothing…I just…"

"Then why are you standing outside my door?" Her question held irritation behind it, and Beast Boy wondered why he'd said anything at all. "I'm busy." Still he said nothing. She sighed in exasperation. "Look, if you have nothing to say, come back later. You're wasting my meditation time."

His confused frown turned to a scowl in an instant, his olive eyes hardening. Raven's own eyes widened a bit as he slammed both hands on the sides of her doorway. "I only came to apologize…but I can see, as always, that it is pointless to bother apologizing to someone as unfeeling, cold and depressing as you Raven. As if you don't meditate enough…you're always locked up in your room, wasting away in there yourself. Maybe if you came out to actually hang out with some of us, then you'd be happier and less pessimistic." Raven blanched at the things coming out of his mouth, appalled and horrified at what he was expressing towards her. "I don't even know why we bother trying to deal with you!"

She finally found her voice and fired back. "Is THAT what you came to tell me? Because if it is, then you're dumber than I thought! How dare you—"

"That's right, Raven, defend yourself against someone as pitiful and stupid as me! That's right, tell me how pathetic I am, how stupid, idiotic, useless and irritating I am! It only proves how wrong I was about you. I don't know why I do waste my time, why we waste our time!" He seethed as he saw her fists clench beneath her cape. "In fact," his scowl deepened. "Maybe you should just permanently lock yourself away in that room, that way you won't have to deal with those of us who are too happy and cheery for you, those of us who can feel. That way you won't have to see any of us joyful people. Maybe that is why you hated Terra…because she was happy, and everyone liked her, and because she gained everyone's trust, even yours." She winced at that, which Beast Boy did not notice. "Or maybe—"

"Or maybe, if you left the Titans, I wouldn't have to see YOU and your annoying, happy self!" She spat in his face.

Immediately she slapped her hand over her mouth as Beast Boy's hands slowly slid from the doorway. "Is that…" He paused, "Is that what you want, what you really want?"

Her lack of response echoed off the walls like horrible screeching, and neither seemed to notice that their friends had been watching the entire time. He shook his head, a wan smile on his face as he turned his back to her. She reached out despite herself. "Wait…Beast boy…I only meant that—"

"Don't," he said in a dangerously low tone. "I understand everything Raven. Part of me figured…always figured that, in reality, this is how you've always felt. I kind of always knew that you didn't trust me completely. All these years I…I trusted you, never questioning anything you did. I never even gave half of the things about you a second thought, nor did I ever curse you for the trouble you'd caused the Titans. But now I see…what I should've seen a long time ago. It's all futile with you, isn't it Raven? You're incapable of feeling for anyone. I…knew that…and I should've heeded it better. But this will be my acceptance of everything I have just come to realize." He felt her hand on his back and relished the caress for mere moments before moving away further down the hall, his talking fading. "I am resigning from the Titans tomorrow." His door slammed shut.

Only then did Raven realize the intensity her grave mistake. '_I had a chance…I had a chance…I HAD A CHANCE!_' The newly replaced lights above shattered from her emotions. Her mind screamed at her, despairing cries raging inside her head as the graveness of the situation dawned on her. Closing her eyes she tried to block everything out, the shrieks and the accusatory voices of her emotions as they rose from the darkness to scorn her. Moments later she looked to her left, finally noticing Robin, Starfire and Cyborg staring at her with their mouths hanging open. She threw them a malicious glare before disappearing into her room without a word. Deciding that drastic actions were needed, Cyborg ran into Beast Boy's room while Starfire vanished into Raven's without knocking.

Robin stayed put in the hallway incase he might need to break out his leadership role. '_Yeah…a lot of good that's been doing me…_' he mused bitterly to himself as he heard shouting ensue from Beast Boy's room, and the shattering of glass pieces and furniture from Raven's direction. He thanked what luck he had that he had not been the one to enter either room. _'I may be tough when it comes to villains…_' he thought. '_But facing any of these guys…I opt for criminals.'_

In his room, Beast Boy was furiously explaining to Cyborg his situation, all the while shoving clothes into a duffel bag. He was shouting, he knew; he didn't care anymore. '_She still doesn't even know…she still doesn't even care…why do I…why DID I bother?_' Cyborg was sitting on Beast Boy's bed, head leaning on his hand as he tried to make sense of what had just occurred. For his part, Beast Boy was still shouting, not paying his robotic friend any mind as he violently shoved his toy monkey with the symbols into his duffel bag. Cyborg barely noticed the toy that had caused them a scare when Fear itself had invaded Titan Tower. He was too wrapped up in watching his younger teammate fume like a wild animal. Cyborg mused on how ironic it was that Beast boy's true nature was similar when he got angry. Only at the point when Beast Boy had stopped did Cyborg awaken from his stupor, barely noticing that his green skinned friend had broken down in sobs upon his messy bed. Feeling his heart wrench at Beast Boy's crying, Cyborg placed a hand on his friend's shoulder in attempt at comfort. He felt as though there was nothing he could do to make his friend stop his wailing, maybe no one could—except her. Part of him was angry with the half demoness. That part of him wanted to strangle her for hurting his friend, to teach her what pain was, to make her see what she'd caused. But the other part knew she already knew such pain, such anguish; at least in a sense he knew she comprehended it thus.

'_Raven might not be able to feel outwardly…but I know she does, inside_.' He cut off his thoughts as Beast Boy's broken hearted sobs died down until he was left in a small heap upon the floor, squeezing his duffel bag as though it was his savior. '_But she's his savior…she really is._' He knelt on his knees until he was eye level with Beast boy, who wouldn't face him. "Hey BB…you gonna be aight man?"

"Just…I need to be alone right now, Cy. Thanks," he replied as he turned away from his companion. "I'll see you…"

Cyborg nodded and exited, knowing there was nothing more he could do. Once outside Beast Boy's room and inside the hall, he leaned against the wall next to Robin. "Man…when did things go wrong? It all happened right under our noses." He rubbed his head as Robin shrugged, obviously concerned but not entirely sure they could do anything to help. "Well…I guess all we can do is wait."

Inside Raven's room everything had shattered to millions of minute pieces that littered the length of her navy blue carpet. When she'd stepped into the safety of her room, her emotions flew off the handle—more so than usual. Starfire had to avoid the glass shards that threatened to be her demise as vase after vase, concrete statues and windows were obliterated around her. She knew she risked serious injury when she'd entered; but her only concern was Raven. They were now standing a few feet from each other, Raven by the broken window, Starfire by Raven's demolished bed. For her part, Starfire had done what she considered her best effort to calm the demon sorceress. She figured physical contact would only enrage her fellow titan further; so she did the next best thing she could think of. She waited, patiently, until Raven had decimated enough of her room to become tired. At once she'd grabbed the young woman's shoulders and began shaking her to snap Raven from her destructive daze. Then, she soothed her friend, calming her. The look on Raven's face had been one of pure terror—and agony.

Starfire shook the actions of the past few minutes from her head as she surveyed the room. "Friend Raven, the effects of you're actions are fixable, by all means. The room can be…renovated…and you're relationship with Beast Boy can be mended. If you wish it, that is. Everything can be fixed if you want it to be. It can all be repaired, changed if you wish it. I can help you fix this and I—" Raven chuckled hollowly. "What is the matter?"

"You can fix this mess…all these…material things. You all can help me fix my relationship with Beast Boy." Starfire nodded at her. "And for that…I would be most grateful." The Tamaranian female nodded, more enthusiastically. "But," Raven glanced at her hands, seeing them as only she saw them. "Could you possibly help me fix me?" The orange-haired woman opened her mouth to reply but was at loss for words. Raven laughed again, this time bitterly. "I didn't think so. Starfire," Raven gave her friend a pointed look. "Thank you for everything. I'd like to be alone now."

No more was said as the young warrior exited the darkened, destroyed domicile. Once outside she plopped against the hall wall between Cyborg and Robin. She gave them a small frown of failure as she allowed her head to fall against Robin's shoulder. "I do not think I have helped friend Raven. Robin…what shall be done about this? I am afraid of the circumstances to a mess such as this one. They are…terrifying to me. Is there anything that any of us can do to help our friends?"

"All we can do is wait Star…all we can do is wait."

* * *

The next morning Raven shifted in bed, her back feeling slightly achy and uncomfortable. She was about to stretch when she heard a distant shriek and distressed shouting. "What the hell is going on?" She arose from bed and peeked out her door just in time to have Starfire nearly cut her head off. "Whoa! Starfire? Is something wrong?"

"BEAST BOY HAS LEFT!" Starfire's green eyes were watering as she spoke. "All he left was this note. There is no trace of where he has gone. He has truly left the Titans!" Starfire rummaged in her pockets and pulled a small contraption from her robe pocket. "His communicator was lying on his desk."

"What?" Raven's shock was anything but hidden as her door cracked in half, the metal making a loud thump within the tower while she stared at the communicator in Starfire's hand. Robin gave her a funny look as he held a now sobbing Starfire. Cyborg threw her a disappointed glare as he stalked back to his room, choosing not to converse with anyone in the hallway. Raven's fingers were fidgeting beneath her cloak where she thought no one could see; but she didn't know how wrong she was. Pulling her hood over her head, she gave a simple answer, determination evident in her eyes. "I'm going to look for him."

"Raven…maybe that's not such a good idea," Robin spoke in a hushed whisper.

"What do you mean? One of our team members is missing," she retorted hotly. "I think it's procedure to—"

"No Raven, it is not procedure unless he was kidnapped." He shot her a sad glance. "And I think we all know…he wasn't kidnapped." Raven was about to protest when he raised a hand to silence her, his glance hardening as he ignored Starfire's incessant sniffling. "You, above all people, should understand that he needs time Raven. It isn't our place to seek him out so soon, especially not yours."

"But he could get hurt," she replied.

"You didn't seem to care so much last night."

Raven felt her face become hot as she took in Cyborg's bitter response. "I didn't…I never meant what I said…I just…I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be tellin me that Rae," Cyborg answered quietly.

"Well I can't tell him unless I find him, can I?" She felt anger coursing through her veins at the complications getting in her way. "I can't tell him anything unless I find him, unless I seek him out! How can I apologize for anything if he isn't here? If you won't let me, I cannot fix anything! Besides, he's the one who left on his own, not because I made him! He wanted too! It was his decision, not mine!"

"Maybe…just maybe," Starfire began, her eyes welling with fresh tears, "you did make such a decision for our unfortunate friend. Raven, you are a great friend, a great Titan, and we all love you very much. But you have not allowed us in…and it hurts us…because we care for you very much." Tears were threatening to fall but Starfire pursued her point. "And I fear that…we may be able to live without knowing so much about you. Yet, I do not think that Beast Boy feels the same way. He loves you much more than any of us ever could…and you have hurt him deeply. We do not blame you for this, for his leaving." Robin and Cyborg nodded in agreement. "But you must understand—Beast Boy needs time, as Robin has said." Raven's eyes dropped to the ground as she fell against the wall. Starfire ran up to her dejected friend, embracing Raven, who, at this point, had no energy left to refuse such affection from the perky Tamaranian. "When the time is right, we shall all look for him. But for now, you must rest…it is crucial."

The demon sorceress nodded slowly as she allowed Starfire to take her down to the living room. Neither Robin nor Cyborg said a word as they followed her, turning in the direction of the kitchen when they'd reached the bottom of the staircase. Once on the circular couch, Starfire sat Raven's numb figure down so that she might be able to rest even though they had all just awakened. Starfire joined her friends in the kitchen as well as Raven stared hollowly at the blaring TV screen. She turned to glance to the window, to the hazy afternoon that showed through the clear glass. '_It's just like my life…everything so…hazy…_' She shook the thought from her head as she, once again, looked at her hands. Forcing herself to take her glance away, she brought her hood down with one hand as the other stretched to retrieve the nearest pillow. Placing her head on it, she slipped into a fitful slumber as her warring emotions attempted to settle from their destructiveness. And though she laid there, seemingly peaceful, inside Raven was slowly being torn apart by everything she was never meant to express. She felt something stirring, something strong, malicious, hateful—evil.

_'He will re-awaken, fully. It is inevitable. Don't you see Raven? It has been this way since you were chosen after she died.'_

She tossed and turned in her sleep as sweat began to slide down her skin_. 'He will awaken…? Who is this he? I have already disposed of my father! He can no longer haunt me!' _She turned again as a laughing voice echoed in her head_. 'What do you want? Who are you? Who is this she you speak of? Do you mean Slade?'_

_'Don't misinterpret my intentions Raven. I do not speak of your Father, Trigon. Though he is not dead to you or me, it is not he who I refer to. You must remember—if you had disposed of your father, you would now be fully cleansed, which you are not. I do not speak of Slade Wilson, either. But who I speak of is someone you have met but not seen with your eyes. But do not worry, little Raven—he will come again. And when he does, you are his only victim.' _

Suddenly Raven let out a moan as a million daggers shot at her while the voice's laughter continued to echo all around. And from the very center of her chakra, blood began to seep. She screamed.

* * *

Starfire sat patiently beside the table where Raven lay; the darker haired Titan snuggled beneath the covers while her status monitors displayed her health checks. When she heard the scream emitting from the living room, they all knew that something was not right. At the current time Cyborg and Robin were in the training room, vigorously working out as they felt they needed to be prepared for danger at every given chance. She chose to do guard duty first, her concern for Raven consuming her after Beast Boy's disappearance. It was safe to say that Raven was not in a coma; but the Goth was not well at all. Brushing back a stray strange of her fire-red hair, Starfire closed the book she had been reading to take a quick look at her friend. The young woman sleeping in bed had become paler than usual, sprouting a fever and sudden flue symptoms. Raven shivered in the bed, which caused the Tamaranian to add yet another blanket to her bed. '_This puzzles me greatly_,' Starfire thought as she observed the demon in the medical bed. '_If Raven has the abilities to heal herself…why has she not done so?_' She threw her teammate yet another stare as she tried to settle down in the chair for her next shift. '_Something…is not right…and I do not know what it could be_.'

Below her, Robin and Cyborg had ceased their training to grab something sustenance. Robin was busily chewing on a piece of fruit when his robotic friend let out a wail. "Cy, what's the matter?"

"Robin, somethin's been botherin me since…since Terra died," Cyborg started. The boy wonder, now Nightwing, set his fruit down as he gave his friend his undivided attention. Cyborg understood it as sign to proceed. "Remember how…you were seein Slade, and I told you it couldn't be him?" Robin nodded as he recalled the time where he had almost killed himself because of Slade's never ending legacy of tricks. "Well…I guess I shoulda told ya man…but that dust that sent ya system haywire…it wasn't activated on its own. Somebody else had to do it."

Robin's eyes nearly popped out of his head at what Cyborg was revealing. "And you waited to tell me this now? This is serious Cyborg!" He let his head fall into his hands as he cursed his bad luck. '_I knew something was different…I never should have let it go so easily!_' He smirked. '_Not that I had in the first place…but now I know why._' He gave Cyborg an annoyed glare. "So…guess this means that Slade really isn't dead, huh?"

"I ain't said that!" Cyborg slammed his fist into his opened hand. "I think that someone else is at work here. And if Slade is alive…this ain't just HIS doin. He's got an accomplice this time…and I get the gut feelin that it ain't Terra."

"How can we be sure it isn't her? After all, Raven did say she wasn't dead—just comatose in that rock form she took," Robin reasoned.

"Well, even if she was alive…in the flesh, I mean…I don't think it'd be her, man!"

"Why would you say that? Cy, the possibilities aren't zero. After all, she betrayed us before. I'm not saying it's her…but we have to be prepared…for anything." Robin replied as he turned his gaze to the window. "And I do mean anything."

Cyborg let his gaze follow Robin's as they both stared at the city below between them and the window's glossy surface. The sparkling lights were the brightest they'd ever seen in the past few nights—for the strangest reasons—and both young men began to suspect something was amiss not only in the Tower, but within the city as well. The magnitude of the problem was not what concerned them; instead it was the force in which it came that unsettled both Titans. With Raven sick, Beast Boy gone and Starfire in extreme distress, Robin began to feel the pressure of his leader role become heavier and heavier. His shoulders sagged as he fell against the replacement plexiglas windows. He gave Cyborg a tired look as the other Titan nodded his understanding, both knowing that their problems were only just beginning. Figuring that everyone needed sleep, Cyborg took his leave back to his individual room while Robin journeyed to relieve Starfire of her shift. None of them believed that Raven would awaken within the same night—though the morning wasn't as unlikely.

In the solitude of his own room Cyborg sat on his recharge bed, not quite ready for his sleep cycle to begin. So he sat, silently, in deep thought, recalling his time in H.I.V.E. academy. He wasn't sure what had brought the sudden thought on but he figured that it had something to do with the fact that everyone seemed to have someone to talk to lately, except him. '_Seems like I'm the voice of reason these days…and the shoulder to lean on for everyone, too. The only problem is that I ain't got no one…_' He hardly ever got down on himself but he was feeling lonely as of the past few days, which were filled with so much chaos that he thought he'd go insane. He exhaled a large, elongated breath as he waited patiently for an answer to come. '_I need someone to lean on too…_' He knew moping would never work; it hadn't in the past. He stood up and walked towards his desk where he'd stashed some books from his brief days at the H.I.V.E. academy. There was a picture of him with his former classmates/enemies: Gizmo, Jinx and Mammoth. '_I think she used to like me,_' he mused as he ran a finger over the picture of the then young girl with hot pink hair. She was bad luck, and he knew—but she'd liked him as his old self, as Vincent Stone. And he had liked her too, in an odd way. '_Someone liked me for me…or who used to be me…_' His slightly depressed musings came to an abrupt halt when he turned the page and found a pair of dusty blueprints wound up into a tight microfilm ring. '_These are mine from when Brother Blood made the Sonic Canon from my technology,_' he thought as his mind wandered back to the incident.

Then it hit him as he remembered the young woman with a bright yellow and black outfit, a warrior of equal strength and cunning. '_Bumblebee…_' His lips turned into a smile as he recalled their dance at the academy, the Sadie Hawkins dance. '_I hadn't seen her since…and now…it's been so long._' He would be lying to himself—he knew—if he didn't admit that he was attracted to her as well. She was powerful, intelligent, beautiful, and a superior fighter—a real Valkyrie. '_I'll always remember those stings._' He chuckled as he set the reminisces down in his desk drawer, tucking them safely into their place as he made his way to his recharge bed. '_Who knows_,' he wondered. '_Maybe we'll meet again…sooner than I think_.' He wasn't one to become weepy or needy but he tilted his head to the left as he plugged in his cords and activated the security systems of Titan Tower. '_And now would be a great time to drop by, girl._'

* * *

He'd barely been gone for a few hours and his stomach was protesting. He'd eaten before he left Titan Tower. He had been in a rush, only stopping a moment to leave a note telling his teammates that he was gone. But he figured that they would have known seeing that his room had been cleared. He hadn't actually gotten rid of anything. Instead he'd simply stashed it in the lower levels where everything collected dust, like old uniforms and other useless junk. He didn't plan to stay away forever, only for a breather to get away from the superhero life…and Raven Roth. He knew that deep down she'd not meant most of what she'd said. But it still tore him apart inside, and he knew he needed to stay away.

He felt rejected in so many ways, as though she'd taken his heart and stamped on it. '_But she apologize…and I didn't accept it,_' he berated himself. She'd not apologize too many times during their years together as a team; but he knew Raven was a special case Titan. '_I know we're all special…but we don't all have crazy fathers trying to kill us every five seconds…_' He chuckled to himself, lightly accepting his decision with a less heavy heart than before. Seconds later, however, his face became solemn again. '_But will she…miss me? Or is everything I told Starfire going to stay true, even now? Does she love me? And if she does, will she ever learn to accept her love for me…or let herself love me?_' He then began to wonder about his other friends. 'Will they miss me?' He was pretty sure that it went without saying that Starfire would miss him, as she had been his support as of a couple days previous. Robin was their leader and saw Beast Boy as a valuable asset to the team; he was sure Robin missed him, too, as a friend though. Cyborg had been like the brother he'd never had, and for that, he was sure Cyborg would miss him. He missed all his teammates. They were each special to him. Cyborg was like a brother, Starfire like a sister and Robin almost like a parent.

'_They're all so special in their own way…but not special like you, Rae,_' he found himself thinking privately as an image of her, one he'd found in a her book, planted itself in his mind. If he recalled correctly, the day she'd placed the horrid book back into its chest, he'd become curious. As usual he snooped around until he'd managed to take one last look at it, opening the book to the page of a picture in black and white. He had gasped at Raven's illustrated self, entranced with how beautiful she looked—and she was only inside a book. '_It didn't and doesn't compare to her beauty in real life,_' he thought. He groaned as his stomach grumbled for the fifth time in two minutes.

"Guess that means I really should stop and get something to eat…" He trailed as he spotted the pizzeria across the street. "I guess that's my ticket."

Beast Boy let out a sigh as he fell against the booth's comfortable, cushioned surface. He waited patiently for his pizza to come as he watched with general disinterest as a group of high school kids entered the pizzeria. His mind blanked as he spotted one of the pretty girls throwing him suggestive looks. He gave her a small smile before shaking his head to show her he was anything but interested himself. Disappointed, she managed a nod in understanding before waving and rejoining her giggly friends. He whistled lowly as pizza steam infiltrated his nostrils. '_Wow…wasn't paying attention I guess…like always._' He gave it a quick look over before pushing it away, opting instead to have a sip of soda. His eyes wandered to the ceiling as he sat there, his gaze nonchalant. He was about to get up when he vaguely heard the bell to the door ring in opening. '_Wonder who that could be…_' He did not glance up to see until he felt someone sit across from him. When he looked up, his only response was one of shock as he began choking on his soda. Once he was successful in recovery, he gaped. "But how…what are you…"

"Hey, long time no see…Beast Boy."

TBC…

_(AHHH! What's going on? Well, seriously, I think you all know, so why should I explain anyway? Terra is here, yeah…you got it. For like…one line! Hahaha! Um…complications are definitely arising! What will our Titans do? Ha! Well, till next chapter! Please R&R, flame if you want, since you will anyway. Constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome. Thank you for reading, whether you left a review or not.)_

Darkkairi1


	7. Tension in the ranks

_Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans because things would be damn different if I did. Anyway…this is for entertainment purposes only since I have no money to give any of you if you decide to sue me. I'm a struggling college student, for real. I might have some spare pennies, but I sure as hell can't imagine why you'd want that though._

A/N: Okie…the pairings are now Terra/Beast Boy/Raven (don't worry…she'll be here for only a little bit as his potential lover or whatever, but I'm not going to bash her, all right? I like Terra for the most part—disregarding her in the actual comic books: didn't like her there), Robin/Starfire/Aqualad (well, if I DO end up having it…this might be in much later, future chapters!) and Jinx/Cyborg/Bumblebee (because he needs loving too…and it works...but that won't be until the next chapter!). So, if you aren't open to those pairings, then I warn you all, Do NOT read this fic; I highly recommend that you don't if you hate those pairings! So…that's it for now, besides having a new enemy—which I still haven't quite decided—entering the picture, and Trigon! Whoa…I'm out for now. Enjoy the fanfic.

Word Coding is as follows:

_'Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Everything else

**Inside the Silence **

Words could not describe the torrent of emotions that shot through his body; only rivaled by the thoughts circulating in his mind as he stared at the young woman before him. "What…how are you…wait a minute!"

She let out a light hearted chuckle. "I'll explain everything later. But first, we should get out of Jump City. It isn't safe here anymore."

In most other cases he would have been more logical, thinking about safety and suspicion as primary rules of engagement. However, he was at a loss as he nodded his head in compliance, taking her outstretched hand without question. As they exited the pizzeria, she threw him a small smile. "It's good to see you again, Beast Boy."

He shook his head agreement. "I've missed you too…Terra."

* * *

Raven tensed as her tea cup fell to the ground, shattering into a million pieces at her feet. Her arms immediately circled herself as she fell to the floor, her body shivering. '_No…it can't be...!_' Arctic chills coursed up and down her spine as she continued to relive flashbacks she was only trying to forget for years before. Nevertheless, her mind swirled with recollections as she tried to move, only to collapse against the nearest cabinet. Her body quivered while she attempted to stand up; her legs gave way the moment she'd managed a weak stand even though her hands were supporting her from grabbing hold of the island ledge. Raven's mind screamed in anguish as each moment that passed signaled another way for pain to stab at her now fragile being. Physically she was hurting, her skin prickling in a protective response. But worried her most was the way her mind was going haywire, currents of emotions shooting through her. Things started to crackle, and once again she tried to regain control of her feelings. Her struggle continued to worsen as she saw Cyborg enter, walking casually from the direction of the garage. He spotted her moments later when she managed a weak cry of help. "Cy…"

"Raven!" He ran, scooping her up in his arms as her body continuously trembled. "Rae…what's the matter, girl?"

"Cyborg, she's alive; she's with Beast Boy right now!"

"Who's with Beast Boy? Who's she?"

"Terra, she's alive."

* * *

It was a dark, dingy place that she'd picked out prior to her decision to talk to her former friend. She'd awakened to complete haziness, her mind barely registering anything the moment she'd broken free of the molten rock encasing her. She'd fallen on her knees, coughing and sputtering as she gasped for air, trying her best to breathe though she felt like her lungs had been crushed for ages. It was then that she caught a glimpse of silver, black and orange—a distinct and all too familiar combination of colors, in her eyes. Then and there she knew what had happened. '_Slade never died,_' she recalled as she dragged Beast boy with her. '_Even though I've been trapped all these years…he's been free to roam as he wished to._' Part of her was angry that he had survived while she was meant to suffer; the other part of her enjoyed her suffering, felt as though she deserved it. '_After all,_' she thought, '_I betrayed the only people I came to trust as my friends._' The initial guilt from all her wrong doing resurfaced as soon as she'd been resurrected; however, her longing for her friends replaced that soon enough—the shame too. She wasn't sure how she was going to face Beast boy after so many years but she figured that it was necessary since Slade had brought her back to life without an explanation to boot.

And how many years had it been, exactly? '_He_ _must have some alternative motives, I know it._' She'd sighed. '_But whatever the case…I have to know how long it's been._' As his apprentice she knew Slade to be truthful, even if he was a villain. But for him to save her—if it could be called such—and not explain his actions, that was something that called for worry. She didn't see the logic in his actions, not one bit. '_Still…something tells me…_' She wasn't quite sure what to expect; but she knew she'd better make her choices carefully and wisely if she was to help her friend, and live to see the light of day for a little longer.

Beast Boy hadn't said anything as they'd walked—hand in hand—towards the rendezvous spot, not sure what it was that Terra had in mind. For him, the world was still turning in circles, too fast, that made his head spin. One moment he'd been about to eat his pizza, the next Terra was in front of him. '_A real, living, breathing person…named TERRA!' _He'd be a liar to say that her sudden appearance hadn't scared the living daylights out of him; but another part of him was reliving a hellish nightmare known as love. '_Or is it? I don't know what to do anymore…and it's only been a few minutes!_' His mind was going into overdrive, canceling out all options that seemed possible. He was in denial, and he didn't want to accept anything about the situation. The feel of Terra's hand in his was enough to drive him insane with want, with a need he'd never fulfilled because of her untimely "death." He hung his head as they continued on, his thoughts making him dizzy as they wound through passage after passage. '_Do I still…have that need? Even now that she's here…do I still want to have her?_' He wasn't quite sure but he knew that within the hour he would find out something, whether it dealt with their relationship on a personal level, or not. '_She has a reason for being here…and I am definitely going to find out what it is._'

Seconds after his thought, Terra came to a halt, causing him to bump into her as she stumbled forward. Regaining her balance enough to stand, she leaned against the nearest wall, her eyes taking on a faraway look. "Beast Boy…do you…forgive me?"

He nodded fervently. "Of course. What's in the past is in the past. I forgave you…a long time ago."

"You say that with such truth…but after what I tell you…I don't know if you'll forgive me anymore," Terra mused loudly as she gave him another of her weakest smiles. "Something just tells me that everything is wrong, no matter how it's happened."

"What are you talking about?" Beast Boy's perplexed expression did little to ease the fire inside of Terra's stomach.

"I think it's time we talked about why I really brought you here," Terra said with a loud sigh. Beast Boy was silent, She knew she had to tell the titans about Slade; she knew not how to explain it, however. '_How am I going to explain all the strange happenings when I don't even know how they happened?_' Her mind was in a complete boggle. "How do I begin?"

The shocked young man spoke softly. "First, tell me how you're alive…how you're conscious."

His question wasn't unexpected, but she didn't have the answer for that—not yet. She released another sigh as she ran her hand along a crumbling wall ledge. "I can't give you that answer." She heard him begin to protest but stopped him. "I don't even know that answer myself. Under normal circumstances I'd have that knowledge; I'm sorry, I'm clueless for now." Her heart pounded mercilessly in her chest, hurting to some odd intense measure. Part of her still couldn't believe that she was alive; the other part was damning her back to her rock prison. '_Serves_ _me right though…_' She cringed harshly when she felt Beast Boy's arms envelop her in a soothing hug. '_How I've missed this, so much,'_ she thought with slight pleasure. _'Who holds your heart now? It can't possibly be me…after all these years.'' _

"I'll accept that response Terra," he replied in a whisper, pulling her closer. "I'm just glad you're alive…and safe."

Tears burned at her eyelids. "Thank you, Beast boy." Yet somewhere deep inside, her heart was beginning to break. '_You don't belong to me anymore, do you?_' She managed a small, contented smile as she sank deeper into his embrace, twisting her body so that her head was spooned against his chest. Mild surprise spread through her as she felt him tense, slightly, at her hands against the small of his back. '_I can tell, by your simple reluctance…but you never did belong to me, did you?_' She lifted her head to his eyes closed, a pained, confused expression on his face. Choosing to ignore it, she placed her head between the crook of his neck and shoulders, holding back her tears as she realized just how much things had changed during her slumber. '_She's always had your heart, hasn't she?_' As if reading her thoughts, she felt Beast Boy's jaw move, as though he was going to speak; she stopped him, abruptly. "You love her…don't you? You've always loved her…haven't you?" He said nothing. "You don't have to lie to me. I understand, really, I do."

"I'm sorry Terra. I never meant to…I'm just so confused," was his soft reply. He hugged her tighter. "Please…just explain why you're here, why you're alive again. That's what is most important."

She nodded gently. "I will. You should call the Titans."

* * *

Raven was perched on the top of her stool, stirring her drink idly as though she was in some alternate universe. Cyborg sat across from her, sipping lightly from his cup of hot cocoa. Robin and Starfire sat next to each other, not sure what reason they had for congregating in the kitchen. Robin was staring off into space while Starfire twiddled her thumbs nervously. She ventured to speak but figured that it was not her place, as she had not asked everyone into the kitchen. The sudden clearing of Cyborg's throat made them jump as he gestured his cybernetic arm towards Raven's silent form. As if reading what he was going to ask her, she raised her head and gave them he trademark impassive look. "There is…something I need to tell you." They nodded. "This might come as a big shock…especially to you, Robin…but she's back."

"She? Who is this she that you speak of, Raven?" Starfire blinked in puzzlement.

"Terra…she's returned."

A chair clattered in front of them, the sound reverberating around the entire kitchen as Starfire let out a squeal of surprise. Robin was glaring at Raven, his hands clenching the tabletop so hard that his rubber gloves began to crease from the sheer pressure. "What did you say?" Raven stayed silent. "I know what you said…but it can't…it can't be true."

"But it is true," Raven replied quietly.

Robin was about to retort back at her with a snippy comment when his communicator beeped. Throwing her an irritated glance, he flipped the gadget open. His eyes met the familiar sight of their fellow titan. "Beast Boy!"

"Hey Robin," Beast Boy's reply came faintly through the device. "Is…everyone near you?"

"Yeah," he answered, his eyebrow quirking. "Beast Boy…is there something you want to share with us?"

"Uh…um…" he hesitated. "I'm on my way back to the tower, right now."

"Why?" Starfire had pushed Robin out of the way to see their friend. "You have only just left the tower for your "alone" time. Do you wish to return so soon?"

"It's kinda important that I get back Star…" he trailed off.

Behind the curious duo, Raven was sipping at her tea, allowing the liquid to burn her lips as she clenched her free fist. She knew why he was coming back—and she didn't like it. '_Something is wrong here…why is Terra alive?_' She didn't understand why Terra was resurrected so many years later. Next to her, Cyborg was patting her shoulder in remorse as he watched Starfire squeal in happiness for their friend's return. Robin, on the other hand, looked ready to beat someone's brains out. For his part, Cyborg was tense—he hadn't seen Terra since her untimely death. He felt Raven's shoulders twitch beneath his finger tips, and wondered if she was bothered, angry, or upset all in one. He took his chances of not asking, for her wrath was not something to invoke. Once she was done drinking her tea, she made to leave but halted when she heard Beast Boy's voice through the communicator.

"Hey Robin…is…is Rae there?" Robin looked to her and saw Raven's eyes harden. He shook his head. At this, Beast Boy sighed loudly. "Well…when you see her…just let her know I'm coming back. And that…I'm really sorry about our fight." Raven blushed. "Oh yeah…and that I'd like to, you know…talk to her when I get back."

"I'll let her know pal," Cyborg replied for the Boy Wonder who appeared as though he might have a conniption at any second. "See ya." With that said, Cyborg slammed the device shut as Robin fell back onto the nearest chair, Starfire hovering beside him. "Listen y'all, I think we all know who is comin back with BB, so we best prepare for it." He gave Raven a pointed face as she nodded, exiting the kitchen to her room. Robin sighed again. "Rob, you just gotta let it go for now, man…see what's happenin when Terra gets here. Maybe she ain't all that bad anymore…"

"But I do not understand. How is it that Terra is awake? Was she not imprisoned in the lava?" Starfire's eyes were wide. "How can she have broken free?"

"No one knows that Star," Robin said heatedly. "But if I know anyone who could do it, and would do it…then it's Slade, that creep."

Starfire gasped. "But—"

Robin shook his head. "No Star…someone isn't messing around with us this time."

Her head drooped. "I believe I shall go make myself some pudding."

Both young men's faces screwed up as she proceeded towards the fridge, neither wanting to partake in whatever it was that she might concoct. Starfire was known for making such dishes that no one except Tamaranians would eat; all which no one on earth would decide to have. Robin let his head fall to the table as Cyborg made a mad dash for his room. Starfire wasn't usually his problem—everyone knew Robin was her caretaker. Cyborg himself didn't understand why they hadn't started dating, or going out, for that matter. They certainly acted like a couple for the most part. Now all he had to do was figure out what was going on with Raven and Beast Boy and their screwy relationship. As of the present he realized their relationship was on a rocky ledge, dangling from the cliff above dark depths of water that the maiden of water itself controlled. However, Cyborg was not entirely sure that at the rate they were going, well, they might as well stay celibate the rest of their lives. He had no knowledge of the kiss Beast Boy had given Raven, which caused the power outage and severe meltdown of furniture in Titan's Tower; nor did he know about their constant uneasiness around each other after every incident. But one thing he did know for sure—with Terra returning to the tower and the land of the living, things were definitely going to get tricky.

* * *

The journey back home passed in relative silence save for the wind whipping through Terra's golden blonde locks. Beast Boy stood sullenly next to her, eyes apprehensive and unsure. He still didn't understand all that had happened in the past week; it was a rather large blur. Beside him, terra was fiddling with her hands, cracking her knuckles sand running the worn exterior of her rubber gloves. Her anticipation of returning to Titan tower had escalated as of the past few minutes; the fact that Beast Boy was nervous as well did nothing to ease her uncertainty either. Her mind was in a swirling mass of fear. '_I won't be welcomed back…but I know I have to do this!_' She didn't want to admit that the thought of facing all the titans scared the living daylight out of her but she knew it was the whole truth to agree so. Nevertheless she continued to debate whether it was a choice to return, or whether it was her duty as a former titan to tell her former friends the troubles arising and the consequences they faced if Slade was left to his own vices. She was more than worried; she was flat out terrified and the thought of Slade being free shook her internally—her blood curdled at the thought alone. To her left Beast Boy was trying to readjust to the changes that were still taking place in his mind.

His thoughts of Raven were coming in even stronger waves than before, only worsened by the lingering feeling of Terra in his arms. It wasn't that Terra didn't feel right in his arms—though she did not—but more so the fact that he welcomed her into them with such ease that is irked him. '_Am I really that lonely?_' He shook his head, not wanting to accept what his body was demanding of him. His physical self wanted Terra with such urgency but his mind and heart did not relent. He would not allow himself to fall into a trap, and risk losing Raven forever. '_Not that I have her now…_' He vowed not to give up on her, no matter how hard she was hurting him at the moment. For now, he knew, there were more important things to discuss and deal with, and Slade was one of them. He released a sigh as he saw Titan Tower come into view, the brightly shining linoleum-like surface glinting in the rising sunlight. They'd been traveling from quite a far place, which Beast Boy knew was nothing new. Ever since he'd known Terra, even if it had been for a short while, he'd known she'd like secluded place far away from civilization. She was true to her loner status at times, and though his heart reached out to her, he knew she needed such alone times.

He felt Terra's hand on his arm, squeezing it sporadically in slight fright of what was to come. "Beast Boy…promise me something…will you?" He nodded, quickly. "Please don't let me do this alone. Please…just help me get through this."

He complied as her rock-mode of transportation came to a stop at the Tower's entrance. As they stepped off, she slipped her hand into his, not sure whether he'd push her away or not. When he didn't, she felt warmth flood her body, comforting warmth that only Beast Boy's sweet, childish innocence could bring to someone. The Tower reigned ominously over them, and neither took a step forward. Both were uneasy with the silence that loomed around the Tower like a hazy gray fog, one that beckoned them with dangers they weren't sure they were ready to face. But the decision was not theirs as the doors sprang open to reveal three figures Beast Boy and Terra knew all too well. She winced and backed behind Beast Boy as she registered the metal of Cyborg's blue armor glowing in the darkness, and the deadly aura of Starfire's star bolts, which appeared ready to fire if necessary. However, she did not recognize the third figure of a young man standing next to Starfire. He looked familiar, at least his build did. But his costume was not something she remembered, nor was shoulder-length black hair adorning his head.

"Beast Boy," she whispered, curiosity getting the best of her. "Who is that?"

"Huh?" He looked at who she was referring to. "Oh…that's Robin, but now his name is Nightwing. We still call him Robin though." He released a slow breath as Terra inched back beside him so that she was fully facing the three titans. Before she could do anything else, Beast Boy had begun walking forward towards his friends, arms limp at his sides. "Hey guys…guess you don't need to know who she is. Anyways…Terra's got a lot to explain." He took a quick look around. "Hey…where is Raven?"

"Meditating," came Cyborg's fast reply. "We should…sit down for this."

Everyone seemed to agree, and so proceeded to the living room for a long conversation. Tension was high, thick like a blanket—so thick it could be cut with the serrated edge of a knife. Starfire had reduced her starbolts to a faint glow; Cyborg had put away his sonic cannon. Robin was still on his guard, his eyes following Terra's every move the entire time. Only after they'd all been seated did Starfire notice that Beast Boy was missing. She blinked curiously. "Where is Beast Boy?"

"He went to where he is needed," Terra said, impassively. "You should all take a seat again. This is going to take a long time."

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

Normally the simple chant led the tranquil part of Raven's mind to awaken, draping her with peace. But today it was not so. She gave a sigh of defeat as she fell back on her pillows, her jumbled emotions no closer to being sorted. As usual, her room was engulfed in pitch black, darkness, for she preferred it. Just as she'd fallen in love with the eerie silence that blanketed her room, which dominated her life. She'd never been one of many words but, sometimes, she liked to hear people—gathered they weren't annoying. '_But I like to hear Beast Boy._' Her thoughts were cut short at the knock on her door; she hesitated, for a moment. '_Speak of the devil,_' she mused as she felt Beast Boy's aura penetrate her calm, collected one. Her stomach lurched as the door hissed open to reveal the object of her affections.

"Raven?" Her breath caught in her throat at the mention of her name from his lips. "Raven?"

"What?" Her response was soft and a little frightened, internally.

"Can we…would it be all right if we talked?"

She could make out his silhouette in the dim lighting flowing through the doorway. "About what?" She knew her reply was curt; she wasn't inclined to care too much at that precise time.

"Well, can I come in first?" His body was in the door before she had time to refuse his entry. The next thing she knew, he was on her bed, forcing her to the headboard. "We NEED to talk, Rae."

"Listen, now isn't a good time," she said, her cheeks aflame as his arms rose to trap her against the cool surface of her bed. "Seriously…" she trailed off as his eyes slid shut. "Beast Boy?"

"It's never a good time for you, is it?" He smiled, slightly. "Anyway…I just came to say that I'm sorry," he breathed out.

"Is that all?" She wanted to smack herself the minute the words left her mouth.

Under most circumstances, including if she was acting normal, he would have gone away and left her to her lonesome. But something in the tone of her voice compelled him to stay put. Slowly, he raised a hand to her hood, gently sliding it down her head to reveal her blushing face. To say it surprised him would be an understatement, he knew. '_Does she want something from me? Could she possibly…?_' His thoughts were sliced off as he felt her shift beneath him, whether from discomfort or something else, he didn't care. His gaze tumbled back to her, his eyes meeting hers as he lowered his face to hers, inch by inch. When she made no move to push him away, he continued his descent until his lips were millimeters from hers, his breath mingling with her own. She heaved a large breath to steady herself as they continued to stare at each other. Seconds later his lips were on hers, her hands possessively on his back and his on either side of her shoulders, holding her in place. Though the sensations coursing throughout her system were not exactly new, Raven still felt an adrenaline rush as Beast Boy's fingers slid from the wall to cup her shoulder blades. She gasped at his touch, breaking their kiss as her head fell back, leaving the tender skin of her neck exposed. Beast Boy was about to exploit the opportunity when he remembered what had happened before. He paused for a mere second before throwing caution to the wind, his right hand twining in her hair while the other moved to cup her back for support pressing her skin closer to his eager lips.

Raven inhaled a large breath as Beast Boy's lips touched the base of her neck, creating a slow suction that left stars in her eyes. Against her own accord, she felt her legs slide apart, giving him a willing, open invitation. Whether he actually realized her acceptance or not was something neither cared about; he took it, scooting himself between her legs. Once he was comfortable, Raven's legs clamped around him, hooking around his waist as she pressed herself against him. The heat radiating from their bodies began to drive Beast Boy insane with desire, a need only Raven could fulfill, and he hissed as her pelvis crushed against his. The pent up frustration and want seized his veins, and all logical thought process—he pushed her down to the soft mattress, enjoying the moans emitting from her throat. Soft, low noises of pleasure escaped her parted lips the moment he removed his from hers; she whimpered. Both of them were panting, and they'd only kissed. Raven breathed in deeply, her chest heaving as she opened her dazed eyes to look into Beast Boy's. When she found him staring back at her, a faint pink blush spread over her face. A sheet of awkwardness settled over them when she noticed something peculiar. '_Nothing…broke?_' She glanced around, noticing that the few remaining objects in her room were still in one piece. Beast Boy appeared to noticed this as well.

"Rae…nothing…broke…"

"Yeah…" She replied, their sudden awkwardness forgotten. She was about to smile when her vanity mirror shattered to a million pieces. They both cringed. Immediately Raven extracted herself from Beast Boy, replacing her cloak and moving to a far corner. Beast Boy was left on the bed, still very much unrelieved and in more confusion than ever. Raven began picking up the pieces when she heard Beast Boy move from the bed, his footfalls coming towards her. "What?"

"What just happened," he asked.

"I don't know," she answered with sarcasm.

His eyes widened, amazed at her reaction. '_How could she completely disregard everything that just happened?_' He felt as though she'd wounded him again, only this time, she stuck a finger in his injury and pushed—she made it burn. He clenched his fists in anger, his body shaking slightly as she turned to face him. Her surprised look did nothing to faze him as he glared at her. "That's it." She continued to stare. "We're through Raven. No more trying. I give up on you, once and for all. The fact that you acted like nothing happened just now, and like you don't have feelings for me is too much to handle." She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off before she could utter even a sound. "Forget it…I'm not a toy you can play with when you feel like it. I'm not the temporary relief to your repressed sexual desires to do with as you please. I'm a person!"

She found her ability to speak again. "Beast Boy, I can't have a relationship with you, and you know it. Things happen when we interact…like that."

"Nothing broke until you thought about it!" His accusation made him look away with slight guilt, but his anger bubbled over. He shook his head. "Just admit it…just admit that you don't have any feelings for me…that you can't stand me."

"I didn't say that," Raven retorted back. "We just…we can't. A relationship with you, and even feelings for you, would endanger the entire team. That's something I am not willing to let happen. I am not willing to take that chance, even on this."

Her words stung his heart. '_She won't even take a chance…even if she loves me? Even when I love her?_' The fact that she so easily shot down his pleas made his eyes harden. He spoke before he really thought about what he was saying. "Then maybe I'll go to someone who can…and who is willing," Beast Boy said, his voice low and upset.

Raven did a double take, as she immediately knew who he was talking about. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," he whispered. "Now, if you'll excuse me…Terra needs me."

With that said, Beast Boy exited her room. The familiar ache in her heart returned stronger than ever. Raven sighed, trying to be rational about the situation. _'But maybe this is a time where being rational will only hurt you, don't you think?_' She cursed Knowledge from within her mind, angry that she'd messed up yet another chance with Beast boy. '_But he'll forgive me…won't he? After all, he always does…_' Part of her assumed that he would but another part felt uneasy about such a thing happening, especially with Terra back. She wrung her hands as she began pacing back and forth, her uncertainty getting the best of her as she sent a glance to the open window. She could hear the voices drifting up through the thin floorboards into her room. '_But now that Terra's back…do you really expect him to?_' Guilt swelled up inside her, stabbing her mercilessly for hurting him again and again. '_I have to stop doing this to him…but we can't be together…we just can't!_' Her wayward thoughts stopped as she closed her bedroom door, not caring about what Terra had to explain to them. '_I'll figure it out later…it's not like I don't know anyway.'_ Throwing one last furtive glance at her ethereal mirror, Raven settled back into her sheets, her mind trying to forget the tingling in her body that didn't want to leave.

* * *

"So, you gonna start explainin, or do we need to force it outta ya?"

Terra let out a long breath as she settled back into the nearest chair, her golden locks holding her tense facial expression. She opened her mouth to speak but paused when she heard the door to the living room slide open, releasing a puff of air as Beast Boy stepped through. They gave him an expectant look but he merely shook his head. Automatically everyone knew they shouldn't speak about whatever had transpired between the pair; everyone ignored it as he took a seat dangerously close to Terra. Starfire raised a brow as Robin tossed them an uneasy look. Cyborg sensed something was amiss but did not bother to push the issue as he gestured for Terra to begin again. She nodded in response as she slid back into the cushioned chair, trying to find a comfortable spot before resuming the dire task of explaining happenings that she didn't understand to the titans.

"I take it Beast Boy has already mentioned that Slade is alive?" Everyone nodded, but Robin tensed. She continued on. "I'm sorry about this Robin, but he fooled us all…even me. I know I was connected to him through our central nervous systems but because I was buried in the molten rock, it severed the nerve endings in my armor. I imagine that that is part of the reason that he did not get buried or destroyed when I was trapped underground. However," she tensed, clenching her fist at the thought. "Something else must have happened for him to have been wandering around these past years. I don't understand why he would not have acted sooner, nor do I know why he bothered to reawaken me. I am no longer his apprentice, I can tell you that much. All I do know it that he must be looking for another one…or he has found one while I was sleeping."

Robin looked angry. "Is that all you know?" She nodded, slowly. "Please, explain to me how that is going to help us?" His voice was murderously low as he began a steady pace, back and forth, in the living room. Starfire reached out to soothe him but he slapped her hand away as he faced Terra. "What you've told us doesn't help at all! You shouldn't even be here!"

At his outburst, Terra found some courage to stand up to the menacing Boy Wonder. "Listen, I've told you all that I know! I've been asleep for about four years! What more can I do for you? I'm sorry! I'm just really sorry!"

Beast Boy enveloped her in a warm hug as tears fell from her sky blue eyes. They'd rarely seen Terra cry, and now, with the tears flowing freely, Starfire felt her never ending compassion resurface. She, too, walked to the pair and embraced them as well. Then she turned to Robin, who was still pacing, not seeming to have noticed Terra's turmoil. "Robin, you have caused friend Terra much grief. Why have you done this if she has told you all that she can remember?" Robin glared at her, unintentionally. "I do not wish to speak to you until you have apologized to her. I shall take her to her place of dwelling," she said to Beast Boy, who began letting go his charge. With that said, she took Terra's hand and led her out of the spacious, darkened living room.

Beast Boy exhaled a large breath as he plopped onto the nearest chair. Cyborg's arm beeped as it brought in the most recent status reports on the tower and all occupants of the tower. Robin was sulking between them, his arms crossed as he attempted to find a way to mend his tiff with their resident alien woman. An upset Star and Robin were not a combination any of the titans liked to deal with; of course, Raven was far worse. For some reason, no one bothered to call Raven back to the room for the conversation—but yet no one found this odd. Beast Boy didn't want to think about it, Robin was too busy trying to be a leader, and Cyborg figured it'd be better to tell her later, or that Raven already knew. Whatever the case, they all thought it was better that she wasn't there. '_I'll fill her in when the time is right,_' Cyborg decided. As he too took a seat next to the three disgruntled young men, he found himself releasing a small chuckle. They all glanced at each other; suddenly they all began chuckling for no apparent reason. It was going to be a long week in the tower—they all knew it.

TBC…

_(Haha…Terra is so here! She's in to cause trouble, and in for trouble as well! Ooo…things are getting questionable! Slade is still in and out of the picture and the tension is even thicker now. Don't worry—there will be more emotional stuff in the next chapter, and less structural type stuff. This just had to be laid out. There will be more interactions and complications between people! EMOTIONS SHALL RISE! Anyway…Please RR, flame if you want, since you will anyway. Constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome. Thank you for reading, whether you left a review or not.)_

Darkkairi1


	8. Hello Stranger, have we met before?

_Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans because things would be damn different if I did. Anyway…this is for entertainment purposes only since I have no money to give any of you if you decide to sue me. I'm a struggling college student, for real. I might have some spare pennies, but I sure as hell can't imagine why you'd want that when you can find it on the street corner._

A/N: Pairings are as follows, as of the present—Terra/Beast Boy/Raven (she'll be here for only a little bit as his potential lover but I ain't gonna bash her aight?) Robin/Starfire/Aqualad (in future chapters!) and Jinx/Cyborg/Bumblebee (because he needs someone, and I've wanted to right them in for a while now.) So, if you aren't open to those pairings, then I warn you all, Do NOT read this fic. So…that's it for now, besides having a new enemy—which I still haven't quite decided—entering the picture, and Trigon! Whoa…I'm out for now. Enjoy the fanfic.

Word Coding is as follows:

_'Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Everything else

**Inside the Silence (Chapter 8)**

Clouds of a brightly shining blue and sparkling white shone in the early morning sky, feeling smooth against her chocolate colored skin. Her jumpsuit stuck to her body, and despite the cool morning air surrounding her, she felt increasingly hot. '_It's been so long…_' she thought, her mind in a boggle at why she was returning in the first place. She couldn't figure out what called her but she felt like someone was drawing her back to that familiar place—a place she'd only glimpsed for mere moments before having to leave. She'd had a mission that time around, and nothing she could think of had stopped her. They'd all been too busy to try and have a little chat, tea, whatever was supposed to happen when meeting new allies, etc. All she knew was how much she missed the rare moment she'd had with such a great team, granted that they were all quite different. Her mind was spinning as she flew high above the brightness below her. Under most circumstances she couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day, such a peaceful tranquil atmosphere. But that was not the case for her today—she was on a mission, one of great importance.

So here she was, on a wild journey even she couldn't really understand; she only knew it was necessary. If there was something to say about people and past relationships needing to be renewed, then Bumblebee knew everything about that. She'd left Hive Academy shortly after the whole fiasco with Cyborg's cybernetic Sonic Cannon was scheduled to destroy Jump City at Brother Blood's order. She and Aqualad had pursued him too, but to no avail. Of course, ever since then he had yet to resurface from wherever it was that he was hiding. She had only to tell of her past experiences and happenings since she'd seen the Teen Titans. They were teens after all—the last time she saw them. '_But who knows? It's been quite a few years now,_' she reasoned. Logic always persuaded her to do things that she thought were right, even when her heart wasn't in it. '_All for being a spy, I guess._' She smiled lightly to herself as the ominous clouds parted to give way to the looming T-shaped Tower that reigned over Jump City's villains.

Judging from what she saw, she noted that either everyone in the tower was asleep or they just liked the fact that they were surrounded by darkness. As she landed, she also took note of the fact that the air around her was cold—and not because of the weather. It was a deeper cold, a tense air full of confusion. It irked her. Releasing a long breath she reached up a tentative hand and knocked on the tall titanium doors that looked as though they'd crush her. '_This is awkward_,' she told herself as she waited for them to open. However, in all her thoughts of returning, not once did she think that she would see someone so foreign answer the door. The young woman standing in her view was pale complexioned with large, sky blue eyes and locks golden like the sun. Stature wise, she was taller than most young women, but she reached about a foot lower than Bumblebee herself. The young woman gave her a questioning look before beckoning to someone behind her.

Immediately the wasp-winged warrior recognized the green skinned young man who came into view. She felt relief flood her as she walked forward into the dimly lit entrance of Titan Tower. "Beast Boy, right?" He nodded. "I take it I'm in the right place. The one and only Titan Tower, am I correct?" He nodded again, this time his eyes lighting up with slight mirth.

"Who are you?" The Blonde questioned in a genuinely curious tone that might have offended a less friendly person; but Bumblebee was feeling particularly good natured at the moment, despite her uneasiness.

"The name is Bumblebee, girl," she replied as she extended her hand. "Nice ta meet ya."

"Likewise," the other woman answered with the same enthusiasm as Beast Boy nodded his approval. "My name is Terra."

"Well Terra, Beast boy, can I come in, or is this place havin a private party?" She laughed as they both moved to let her in. "Thanks."

"So, Bumblebee, what brings you back here? Cyborg is gonna flip when he sees you!" Beast Boy's excited chatter continued, but she had stopped listening shortly before.

'_Cyborg…Vincent Stone…lord, the memories,_' she mused in silence, her ears still drowning out Beast Boy's incessant talking. She'd come all the way from her original living place just to see him—well, actually, he was a perk. She'd come to inform the Titans of some criminal activity in her part of town. She was sure Aqualad would be doing the same. Something told her that now was the time Blood was going to resurface; only this time, he would have many more villains as allies, most, she feared, who were enemies with the titans. But now her mind was settled on the half human, half robot young man. She'd never cared for the fact that he was different, or a scientific experiment gone wrong, as he put it. He was still, in her eyes, that boy he'd always talked about at H.I.V.E. academy—he was still Vincent Stone, minus a couple details or two. And for a time she thought she was the only one who saw him that way. Until Jinx came along. '_Jinx…I wonder what she's up to now…_' Her train of thought ceased as she realized she was facing more familiar faces. She made out the glowing figure of Starfire, who was conversing with Terra; she saw Beast Boy talking to Robin, and Raven, who was sipping from a mug.

She felt slight tension in the air, but mainly, all she heard was her heart. It was beating so rapidly she thought it might burst from her chest. She hadn't seen Cyborg yet. She would have dwelled on that thought had Starfire not greeted her. "Hello Starfire, Robin, Raven. How are things?"

Robin appeared annoyed but Bumblebee took no offense to it as he muttered a gruff hello. Raven nodded that she acknowledged her presence, but promptly returned to sipping her tea. Starfire was shouting with glee, hyperactive as usual. Beast Boy was busy munching on some food, his mind finally registering that Bumblebee might be hungry. He offered her some food, which she gratefully accepted—she had not eaten prior to the beginnings of her journey. They all took a seat at the long, bar-like counter that stood as their table, and began eating and talking as though they'd been hanging out for years, Bumblebee included. Aside from the constant noises of all of them devouring their food, everything was relatively quiet; then there was the hissing of the main door opening. Bumblebee removed her attention from her food to the figure standing in the doorway, her breath catching in her throat at the sudden intrusion.

"Hey y'all! I'm back! I was down at the old junkyard, ya know, huntin for some scrap metal to use on my baby! And they had some awesome scraps, ones I can totally use!"

Cyborg had not changed since the last time she saw him, despite looking slightly older, and she had to pull her gaze away in order to function properly. Casting her glance back towards the food, she acted as though she hadn't yet seen him, which was not like her, she knew. She waited until she heard the door close before resuming her eating. She heard him begin talking to Beast Boy again, clearly not having noticed her since his entrance; but she didn't mind as she wasn't quite prepared to say anything to him either. She continued to hide behind the other titans until it was obvious that she wouldn't succeed much longer. Cyborg suddenly dropped the plate he'd grabbed, the food, which had been piled high on his plate, splattering on the carpeted floor. Both faced the other, old friends who hadn't seen each other in too long—what to do, what to do.

"Hey Cy," Bumblebee spoke, the first to break the silence. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Cyborg opened his mouth, and promptly closed it, at a complete loss for words. When it seemed he'd regain his speech no time soon, Beast Boy stepped in for him. "Hey Bumblebee, why don't you have Terra and Starfire show you to the guest rooms so you can get comfortable? Once you're settled in, I'm sure we can have a nice talk."

Not one to refuse such a generous offer, Bumblebee nodded and followed the alien woman as she squealed in excitement, dragging a somewhat protesting Terra with her. As they walked down the hall, she tossed one last glance at the living room where Cyborg could be heard talking with the other males on the team. '_Ah…seems he regained his speech._' She chuckled as she was led into a brightly colored room; one she thought was Starfire's. When they entered, the young woman named Terra threw herself on the bottom bunk of the bed. '_Were they…expecting me?_' It almost seemed to coincidental that the room she was staying in had two beds, as though someone in the Tower knew she was coming. '_But who could know that?_' Her attention was pulled away from her inner thoughts as Starfire began speaking to her. Bumblebee spread her wings in flight before she took a seat on the top bunk.

"Friend Bumblebee, though we cannot provide a single room for either of you, we can give you this room to share. It used to be friend Terra's room before…" She trailed off slowly, and Terra shifted nervously. "Anyway, you will be staying in here with Terra." Starfire glanced off into space as if searching for something more to say. "Shall I leave you to relax until the time of dinner?" At both their nods, Starfire exited, leaving the two young women, now roommates, to themselves.

Now that she was gone, Bumblebee turned to the blonde haired woman who was staring out the window. "So…Terra, girl…what're you doin here?"

Terra must have been easy going, in Bumblebee's opinion, for she didn't appear offended by the question. "Visiting an old friend…much like you, I'm sure. Unless you're…on a mission of sorts…cause if yes, I am too."

Bumblebee nodded, feeling somewhat awkward around such a foreign person in Titan Tower. "Yeah…about the same here." She fell back on the bed. "So…what's your story?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Terra replied in a whispered tone. "How about you?"

"I understand…I don't want to talk bout mine either," Bumblebee answered.

And though neither was willing to talk about the past, both seemed content and comfortable after their little conversation, each in understanding of each other. Terra, however, was the first to break the silence that had ensued before. "Hey, Bumblebee, was it?"

"Yeah, what you need?" She responded hoarsely, as she'd been drifting off into sleep, tired from the day's journey.

"Do you think we should rejoin them now?" Terra pondered.

Bumblebee glanced back at the ceiling. "Nah…I'm sure one of them would come get us." And with that, the silence resumed as they both fell into a peaceful slumber, though for how long, neither knew nor did they care.

* * *

Back in the living room, four five very confused and irritated titans were gathered around the half-circle couch. "Will someone please explain what's goin on here? What is Bee doin here, at Titan's Tower?" Cyborg was pacing the room as Robin had prior to Bumblebee's arrival. "I don't understand. She's been missin in action for…two years now, somethin like that? What she doin back here so suddenly?"

Beast Boy was at a loss for words, not exactly sure why the wasp-winged heroine had returned. He too was rather confused, wondering why she popped up out of nowhere. They hadn't exactly kept in touch with her after the Brother Blood incident—well, not extensively. It irked him to think that the only reason she resurfaced had something to do with recent suspicions about Slade. '_However, if that's the reason…I think we're going to be having some kind of an interesting alliance going on here, just like in the old days_.' His mind drifted off to Terra suddenly, forgetting completely about his friend's dilemma. Cyborg noticed the sudden lack of attention that Beast Boy was accomplishing and thus, decided to ignore him. He turned his attention to Starfire and Raven who was staring off into space; he was thoroughly annoyed. He didn't understand why no one was helping him to solve the problem of Bumblebee appearing out of thin air. The only person who seemed vaguely interested was Robin, and that in itself was something since Robin was so fanatical about chance meetings and such. Cyborg groaned, his temples pulsing from slight overreaction and the jitters.

"Hey, people! Someone wanna help a friend out?" He shouted in annoyance at the four oblivious Titans.

Robin finally came to. He glanced around at the female titans and signaled them over. Starfire, who had not forgiven him just yet refused to come any closer than 3 feet, hiding successfully behind Raven. Robin frowned but went about business. "Raven, Starfire, it's time we all talked to the two new occupants. Why don't you go get them so we can have a meeting?"

"What about the time of dinner? I do not see any food being made!" Starfire said, her voice distressed.

Robin waved her away, irritated with the circumstances of consequences of his previous actions. This seemed to hurt the tamaranian more but she said nothing. "Order a pizza. This is important business, dinner shouldn't matter."

Raven went off muttering about how boring pizza was while she headed to retrieve their guests. Starfire followed suit, slowly and sadly. Beast Boy was rummaging through the menu selection in the drawer, not really thinking about what he was looking for until Cyborg mentioned what kind of pizza they should get. And then, the epic war started. Robin had to do everything in his power to tune them out, managing, just barely, to reduce their banter to a minimal droning in his ear while he thought about a way to apologize to Starfire. Upstairs Raven was approaching the door when Starfire poked her in the back. The Goth whirled around, ready to snap but the retort died in her mouth when she caught sight of the dejected woman before her eyes. Stopping in the middle of the hallway, Raven let out a sigh as she prepared to listen to whatever it was that Starfire had to say. "Yes, Starfire? Is something wrong?"

"Friend Raven…what do you do when you are…unhappy with a friend?" She asked, timidly.

Raven felt like rolling her eyes but held back. "You talk about whatever it was that upset you." Starfire's eyes shifted away from Raven's face. "You're talking about Robin, right?"

"How did you know?"

For the second time in a day she felt like her head was going to explode. "Starfire, everything about you two is so obvious, not to burst your happy little bubble, or anything." She didn't cut back the sarcasm in her words since she figured Starfire wouldn't understand them anyway. She didn't think Starfire was stupid, just naïve. Indeed the Tamaranian female only nodded slowly, unsure of whether or not what the other female had said was helpful. "Listen, if you are upset with Robin for being so…mean to Terra, you just need to tell him that. Get it over with. Besides…you guys know you can't stay mad at each other that long, right?"

Starfire squealed in excitement as she enveloped Raven in a death hug. "Thank you so much! You are most wise, friend Raven!"

The demon sorceress shrugged off the elated alien woman, irritated and relieved at the same time. "Yeah…ok…"

Before she could anything further, the alien woman was on her way through Terra and Bumblebee's door. Raven hung away outside, concealing herself in the shadows. When Terra and Bumblebee stepped outside the door, Starfire glanced around. "I know that Raven was here. Where could she have gone?"

"The bathroom?" Bumblebee offered.

Terra said nothing, her face impassive as she looked around. Starfire bit her lip before shaking her head. "Well, I do believe that we should be returning to the room of living. Raven will find her way back."

Once they were gone, Raven emerged from within the darkened shadows, her eyes narrowed and angry. For once she believed her telepathic powers were betraying her, for she sensed nothing evil about Terra—nothing. There were no alternative motives, no mal intent, no hatred, anger, depression—nothing. '_But why would she reappear all of a sudden?_' Though Raven was prone to negativity, she wasn't sure whether or not she should speculate more about Terra's magical resurrection. Everyone else around her seemed to not have questioned the suddenness of her return. '_Well…no one except Robin.'_ Her mind pounded in anger at the thoughts of Beast Boy's easy acceptance of their former enemy. Raven didn't exactly forgive Terra for the events around Slade, but that was not what was bothering her at the moment. Her mind drifted back to Beast Boy, taking a brief rest from her suspicions of the Blonde woman who was most likely in the living room, eating pizza. The thought of the pizza nauseated her and she was forced to retire without notification to her fellow titans; she didn't feel like talking, and she most certainly didn't feel like listening.

* * *

Laughter was all that slipped out from beneath the crevice of Beast Boy's door as Bumblebee made her way down the hall. Terra had not been in the room, and the darker skinned girl assumed she'd gone to visit her green skinned friend. She herself was heading to Cyborg's room, prepared to catch up and explain whatever more she needed to. '_There are some things I can only tell Cyborg…since he's so involved in this_.' When she reached his door, her hand came up to knock but paused for a moment as she contemplated. '_What do I say after all these years? I feel so…out of place._' Her mind was in a whirlwind she could not solve; luckily for her, at that exact moment Cyborg decided to get a snack. His door opened and he collided with her lean but curvaceous figure as he stepped out. Both tumbled to the ground, Cyborg quickly shifting their positions so she would not land beneath him. Once the initial shock what happened had cleared, the awkward silence ensued. Bumblebee quietly helped Cyborg off the ground as she dusted off her suit, trying to lift the oddness of the situation.

Once up, Cyborg turned away from her, muttering a quick thanks over his shoulder. "So…what you doin here, Bee?"

She shifted, nervously, which was saying something since she didn't usually get nervous. "I…I'm on a mission. I came here because there has been a high criminality rate in my part of town. The crimes though…they seem too familiar…like that of Brother Blood…and Slade. I ain't denyin that showin up out the blue ain't weird Cy, but the reason I came was to warn y'all about this. It's an alarm, a red flag. Don't you think the titans would like to know?"

"Is that the only reason ya came back?" His voice was low, as though he was trying to ignore that fact that he'd asked her such a question. "Why didn't ya say that at the meetin? Robin ain't gonna be too happy."

She bit her lips, somewhat frustrated that he hadn't been as understanding as she would have liked. "Listen," she started, her eyes closed in annoyance. "The reason I didn't tell them that part was because I don't know who could be listenin…and you're the only one who knows as much as I do about Brother Blood. Besides, Beast Boy told me Robin has some major issues with Slade. I ain't tryin to add to that plate. I ain't tryin to get kicked out when I just got here."

"Robin needs to know these things, Bee. Ya can't hide something that important from the team," Cyborg argued as he began walking down the hall, beckoning for her to follow. "Sides' what you think is gonna happen once you tell me? As a titan, I gotta tell my leader bout something like this. If you wanna be on the team, you got to be all about the team."

Bumblebee nodded, agreeing readily with such a fact. As they walked down the hall, she began having second thoughts. '_Maybe this mission wasn't such a good idea.'_ Cyborg had since halted his speech and she, too, had resigned from trying to reason with the half-human young man. Instead she settled with just following his lead until they reached their destination. When they arrived at the kitchen, Bumblebee took a seat at the nearest stool, swinging around on it idly while Cyborg whipped up something on the stove. She was lost in her thoughts until a delicious smell filtered into her nose. She felt steam rising onto her face and stopped to look down. Her gaze met a steaming cup of hot chocolate made by none other than Cyborg himself. He had taken a seat across from her, his own cup in his hand. She shot him a questioning look as she took a sip. "Cy…I didn't know you could make such great hot chocolate."

"Yeah…well…before the accident," he stopped. "Anyway…spill Bee. You ain't tellin me everythin, I know it."

She released a tired sigh as she took another sip of the warming liquid, grateful as it soothed her aching throat. "Well, remember that sonic canon Blood made with your blueprints?" He nodded. "And…remember how I told you I had the only copy, and that I'd burn them when we were through?" He nodded again, this time a little slower. "Well…apparently Blood had more than one copy." Cyborg looked ready to blow his top but she hushed him instantly. "I guess he's been buildin more things with your technology, at least I think that's the case. Although nothin's been reported from the sea and Aqualad, there's definitely been some activity in my part of town. In fact, last sweep I made over the city, I found this little contraption. I think it's some kinda…trackin device, or somethin." She produced a small see through bag and pushed it over to him. Inside the bag was a small metal device that strongly resembled his finger, which could unlock the security systems to Titan Tower. In makeup, it looked similar to his own, even the coloring.

Cyborg felt like he was going to burst. "Is there any part of me he didn't steal, that bastard?"

She wanted to chuckle at his expression but knew that he was being serious. She blanched. "I uh…I don't know. Sorry…Cy, I just found it. He could've made hundreds of more things over the course of these past years."

His face tightened even more, if possible. "I'm goin to analyze this in the lab. You coming with?"

She gripped her hot chocolate as he made to leave. "Sure. Wouldn't want to miss all the fun, would I?"

As they neared the door, he threw her a smile. "Good to see you Bee."

"You too," she returned with a smile of her own.

"You have no idea," he replied as they disappeared into his room.

* * *

Terra brushed aside a strand of her hair as Beast Boy's laughter filled her ears, tickling her senses. They were both sprawled out on her bottom bunk, chuckling and giggling about the good times, especially the times they battled together. Despite the shaky ground that the conversation rested upon, neither seemed to bring up the day things went bad, or the betrayal. It never seemed to come up. Beast Boy smiled as she leaned against him, his body supporting her dead weight as she let out a contented sigh. She hadn't been content in such a long time. Beast Boy sighed in mild happiness as he relaxed against Terra's body, his mind somewhat of a fuzzy mess as she began talking again. He wasn't sure how they'd ended up talking about the old days, but there he was, in her room, talking like nothing bad had ever transpired between them. He listened intently to the comfortable quiet as they both lapsed into silence again. She inhaled deeply as she pondered her next move. '_I want to feel loved again,_' she pleaded with herself. She glanced over at Beast Boy who wore the stupidest smile she'd seen in years; it suited him. Cautiously, she raised her hand above his cheek and slowly brought it down until his eyes shot open.

"Does she love you?"

He glanced at her in puzzlement, surprised when she suddenly backed him against the wall. "Terra? What are you talking about?"

"Tell me, Beast boy: does she love you?" Terra's question hit him dead on, and he looked away. '_Just as I suspected._'

"She does…I think…" he murmured. "What does it matter anyway?"

"Does she give you the attention you want, the affection you need?" When he didn't answer, she smiled weakly. "Do something about it," she whispered back, her face inches away from his. Beast Boy inhaled sharply as her lips gently brushed his. "I can be here for you. If she loved you, she wouldn't hurt you like I see you hurting. Please…let me love you."

He was a loss for words as he stared into her sky blue eyes. He caught one more glimpse of them before she kissed him again, her lips covering his in s hesitant kiss. His body did not refuse her gentle lips or her soft caresses, but his mind, however, was screaming at him and his heart was angry. Beast Boy wasn't sure where he should be at that point, his mind swirling with thoughts that complicated his entire situation. '_What if she walks in on us? What would I say then? But...it's not like she wants a relationship…_' His thoughts trailed off as Terra's hand moved from his neck to his chest, tracing circle patterns over his lean muscles. Beast Boy's own arms came up to support her, one hand on her waist while the other held her back lightly as he returned the kiss. After a few more minutes of contemplation he couldn't find it in himself to push her away. '_At least someone will love me…_' He knew both of them were going against how they felt, or at least he was. But with everything that had happened, he was not about to refused her affections. The rest of the night was not going to be a blur to him, but in the morning he wasn't quite sure what he'd make of it. Completely focusing on the demands of her lips and his body, Beast Boy erased the world around him, his attention only for the Blonde before him.

* * *

Starfire sat quietly with her hands in her lap. A letter lay to the side of her bed, opened but secluded on her desk lamp as she gazed out the window to the horizon beyond Titan Tower. Her mind was heavy as she let out a small sigh. Her emerald eyes were full of tears. '_I…cannot leave Robin. I cannot…_' her thoughts were drawn back to the letter and its dire message. She sniffled as she recalled everything from the letter to the transmission she'd received before she'd retired to bed, or so she had said. She reached for the letter, fingering its slippery surface in her fingers as she choked back a sob.

**_"It seems that I've escaped prison once again, my dear little sister. Funny, isn't it? I once again rule Tamaran. Haha. I suppose no one here will ever have the power to go against me, nor will they ever want to. I threatened them, you know. I don't care if this little planet is destroyed. Tamaran has never done anything good for me anyway. But you, dear sister, it's done something for you, hasn't it? Perhaps you want to save all the pathetic tamaranians living here? Well, I'd love to see you try. I request your presence for a challenge, one that will decide the ultimate fate of Tamaran. If you don't respond positively or show, I destroy the planet in two days. Think about it sister. Have you even changed all these years? I think not. I'll see you soon, sister. Remember, the fate of our dear planet is in your hands. Choose well, or pay the price."_**

She threw the letter a hateful, depressed look as she stood from her bed and made her way towards window. Her red hair was illuminated by the setting sunlight that drifted through the window. She hugged herself with her arms as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, which had slid closed. She shivered at the thought of returning to Tamaran. '_I don't want to leave you Robin, now…when you need me most. But…_' she glanced back at the letter again. '_I cannot let Tamaran be destroyed. I have no choice but to leave._' Her eyes returned to the outside of Titan Tower, memorizing every part of Jump City incase she did fail against her deranged sister. 'I_ cannot afford to lose, for the sake of Tamaran, for Robin…for myself._' She felt cowardly all of a sudden as her thoughts stuck on her leader, the one she'd been in love with for years past. Her eyes watered with fresh tears as she bowed her head, images of Robin flashing through her mind. _'If I tell him now…and I don't return…it would be worse, I believe_.' She kept telling herself it'd be better if he didn't know at all, than to know and lose her in a battle against the vicious Blackfire.

Her mind made up, Starfire began packing to return home. She packed light, believing she didn't need that much of anything to go for a challenge she intended to win. Once everything was packed, he looked out the window again. It was nighttime now with the stars sparkling brightly in the sapphire sky, the moon perched comfortably with them. '_I hope to see this again, from my room._' Tearing her gaze away she placed the letter in her desk before grabbing her lightly packed bag. She gave the room one last glance around before heading out the door, making sure she was extra quiet. She passed Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy's room, whispering a hushed goodbye to the metal surfaces as she passed. However, when she reached Robin's room she paused, her hand lingering on the door. She could hear him inside, researching on Slade, no doubt. She leaned her head against it, resting it there as she drank in his voice for memory. '_He has no idea…Robin, I am so sorry._' Taking the memento from her bag, she gently placed her old wedding gown before his door. '_This is all I have for you to remember me by, dear friend…_' As she began walking away, she heard footsteps approach the door. She panicked as she realized he was coming out of his room. Giving the hall one last look, she flew quietly but quickly through the door, alerting the alarm systems as she disappeared through the night.

From where she had soared into the sky, she could see six figures come rushing out the tower doors. She spared them one last tearful look before turning away and vanishing completely into the darkened sky. '_Goodbye.'_

**TBC**

_(AH! What the HELL is going on? Stuff, that's what! Hahaha. Okie, yeah, Starfire has to leave, and you'll see their reactions to this in the next chapter. Um…Clearly there is something going on Between Bumblebee and Cyborg, Terra and Beast Boy…and well, Raven is predictably going to be angry. That much is obvious. Aqualad and Jinx should be showing up soon, so no worries. This is getting more fun to write with each chapter. Well, that's it for now. Tell what y'all think, okie? Please R&R. Bye for now!)_

Chocomintswirl


	9. Shattered Titans: Such is life

_Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans because things would be damn different if I did. Anyway…this is for entertainment purposes only since I have no money to give any of you if you decide to sue me. I'm a struggling college student, for real. I might have some spare pennies, but I sure as hell can't imagine why you'd want that when you can find it on the street corner._

A/N: Pairings are as follows, as of the present—Terra/Beast Boy/Raven (Terra will be here for—and I'm estimating—another two or three chapters, and no, I'm not bashing her, ok? So don't ask me to!) Robin/Starfire/Speedy or Aqualad (MAYBE, a very low possibility of MAYBE, in future chapters!). Or, it is possible that when I finish this, perhaps, in the sequel, Aqualad might try going after Raven? Or maybe I'll bring Malchior/Rorek into this…but who knows? I have to finish this one first! Okie, on with the pairings, which are also Jinx/Cyborg/Bumblebee (because he needs someone, and I've wanted to write them in for a while now.) So, if you aren't open to those pairings, then I warn y'all, Do NOT read this fic. So…that's it for now, and no, there is no new enemy entering the picture, because I just decided what I was working with was good already! Whoa…I'm out for now. Enjoy the fanfic.

Word Coding is as follows:

_'Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Everything else

_In italics without parenthesis...that's robin's flashback thingy..._

**Inside the Silence (Chapter 9)**

Drained. Empty. Lifeless. Purgatory, in a sense.

He felt as though he had been drained of all desire and want. She had left his life with such a little goodbye, such an impersonal goodbye at that. He felt as though she'd just abandoned him, as though she didn't want him anymore. A horrible feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he sank deeper within the confining leather of the chair he'd been occupying for hours on end. She'd been gone for almost a week now, her room quiet, clean and beginning to collect little bits of dust without her there to clean it. He didn't know why she'd left—at first. But as soon as she'd disappeared beyond the horizon, he'd gone on a mad hunt to see why she'd just up and left. And there it was, the evidence of why she'd left so suddenly, lying atop her dresser. The slippery surface of the paper fluttered as he swept past it, almost causing him to miss it in his flurry to discover why she'd gone. But when he'd seen the letter, all his disappointment in her fled, and his courage in her returned—but his missing her did not leave so soon, nor did the twinge of slight fear that slipped into his mind. '_How did Blackfire get out?_' He didn't understand how the Tamaranian female escaped and managed to take over Tamaran—again. '_Well…it is Blackfire and she did escape once before._'

Outside of his room the other Titans were going about their own business as though nothing had changed in the Tower. Although he had been immersed in finding ways to bring Starfire back, he was not completely oblivious to some of the changes that had taken place within Titan Tower. He had noticed that Terra and Beast Boy had been acting particularly close, and that Raven had become even more antisocial than usual. Cyborg and Bumblebee had been spending more and more time together, and he wasn't sure if it had anything to with their working as a partners. Crime was still low key; it was hard to tell whether there actually were villains around or not. Life had been amazingly quiet—too quiet—and the Boy Wonder was anticipating an attack in the near future, one that would be bigger than any battle they'd ever faced. '_And she isn't here with us to fight._' He looked towards the window, memorizing the placed he'd last seen her. '_She she isn't here to give me the courage to fight. She isn't here for me to protect._' He sighed. '_I should've told her but now…it's might be too late…_' Robin turned just as his communicator began beeping wildly. '_Everything is going to be fine._' His face scrunched into a worried one now that no one could see him. _'But If I...and there is an unexpected battle of such a magnitude...'_ His thoughts were interrupted as the communicator's beeping became more insistent. With a sigh, he gave it his attention by picking it up and flipping it open.

"Nightwing, here," He replied quietly.

Cyborg's face popped up immediately. "Rob, we got a situation. Seems H.I.V.E. agents have infiltrated our local bank safe…again. BB and Rae are down there right now, Terra too. Bee and I are headin over. We need ya there. See ya."

'_I know you need me there…and being your leader is a great fulfillment…_' Robin let out another sigh as he grabbed his weapons and headed towards the garage where they kept the T-SUB and his R-cycle, which no longer sported his trademark R. Instead it had been repainted a brilliant blue with black streaks, ridding itself of the past teenage Robin. He stuck the key in the ignition of his R-cycle before hopping on, ready to head downtown and help his fellow Titans. '_Then…why do I feel so empty?_'

* * *

Cyborg dodged another of Gizmo's attacks as Beast Boy and Terra took out Mammoth. Raven and Bumblebee were busy fighting off two new members of the past trio. Cyborg stopped his attacks on Gizmo, thanks to Raven encasing him in a black bubble. His thoughts wandered to the missing member of the trio. '_Where's the third party?' _The pink-eyed, fuchsia-haired young woman was nowhere in sight. Jinx was indeed missing from the usual band of bandits, which amazed Cyborg. '_But where did she go? When did she leave?_' He was broken from his thought by Bumblebee's shout. "Yeah? What up Bee?" 

"They're done. It's questionin time," she replied. "And I got questions." She grabbed Gizmo. "Where's your homegirl at? Where's Jinx?"

Gizmo snorted at her. "Snot girl quit the team years ago!"

Mammoth groaned sadly. "Jinx left Mammoth and Gizmo."

"Why?" Cyborg asked, curious.

One of the new team members spoke up, her voice soft and velvety as she lifted her head to face them. "Miss Jinx decided that she no longer liked the life of crime. She left H.I.V.E. about a year after Brother Blood fell into hiding, again."

"And just who are you two?" Cyborg inquired, curious.

"I am Shockwave and this is Screamer, and though our identities are not important, I am sure you will learn of them once we have been taken to jail," the young woman replied, her head held low. Gizmo glared at her from the corner of Cyborg's eye, but the other girl did not seem to care much. "I am afraid we joined this trio because of Miss Jinx's absence and decision to quit. She said, if I recall Gizmo telling me correctly, that she no longer had a need to do such things, she wasn't mind controlled anymore."

"Neither are you," Bumblebee interjected. "So why do you still do it?"

"Well, we have to do something. If we aren't criminals, who and what are we?" The young villain answered, her fingers curling around her cape. "We know no other life. I, at least, know no other life. How can I…what else can I do?"

"Jinx knew no other life, and yet she managed to do something else," Terra answered.

Gizmo looked away, crossing his arms in defiance. "No one really knows what she's been up to these past years. She could still be a criminal. No one knows."

Cyborg shook his head. "We have to take you guys in, no matter what. Maybe there…you'll learn to do something other than the life of crime. If Jinx can do it, then I'm sure y'all can too."

Gizmo and Mammoth, used to the routine of getting caught, said nothing. But the other two new members tried to break free again, determined to continue their life of crime. Right then, Robin arrived on his R-cycle, eyes narrowed as he eyed the suspects. "Are these them?"

Cyborg nodded. "This is them, but we got some new additions, it seems."

"Two of these members don't look familiar. Where's the third one?" Robin pointed to the four members, two he recognized.

"Jinx quit, years ago, apparently," Beast Boy interjected.

"Should we put out a search for her?" Raven suggested, finally emerging from her quiet state.

"Yeah, do that, please, Raven—right away," Robin said, his lips in a scowl. "As for you," he pointed a gloved finger at the rest of the H.I.V.E. agents. "You know where you're going. Take them away."

Cyborg didn't move as Terra and Beast Boy hauled the villains in the direction of the police station. Bumblebee placed a comforting hand on Cyborg's arm as Robin busied himself with procedural things. The half human sighed at her gesture, content to thank her by offering her a mild smile. Bumblebee returned his smile as she turned her gaze towards Robin, waiting for orders. In response, Robin nodded for them to return home and help Raven. He needed time to think, by himself. If other people were around, he felt like they would hear his thoughts or read them; then he would feel guiltier than before. After he discovered that his other teammates had disappeared, Robin leaned tiredly against his R-Cycle, his heart heavy as he relived the events of the past week.

_Robin was sitting at his computer console, depressed and lonely as he gazed out the window. 'Star…are you ever going to return?' He sighed as he fingered his communicator, eyes dull. He was about to throw it at the wall when the console beeped. He paused, eyeing it with little interest before warily pressing the "accept" button. "Nightwing here."_

_"Dick, it's been a long time," A voice said. _

_Robin sank deeper in his chair. "What can I do for you?"_

_"Can't a friend call to say hello?"_

_"Diana, tell Bruce to cut the crap. The Justice League does not call the Titans unless they need something," Robin replied, scowling as he did so._

_Wonder Woman sighed as she allowed Bruce Wayne into the screen view. "Robin, or should I say Nightwing? You know why we've called you. Are you up for it?"_

_Agitated, Robin began rubbing his temples. "No, I don't know exactly why you've contacted me, but I have the feeling I have an idea. I don't know if I'm up for it, so how about you explain it first."_

_Batman's lips remained in a thin line as he began to explain everything that was needed to know. "It seems like there has been more criminal activity in the last month or so. We've been overrun by complaints about local robberies and such. The chaos is spreading throughout the major cities, and if Jump City hasn't been hit yet, it will. In the meantime, we've had no leads on who could be behind all the gangs in the city. But somehow I think you might know who it is." Batman paused. Robin awaited further explanation. Batman made a face. "What?"_

_The younger masked warrior smirked. "What's the matter Bruce? Can't say…you need some help?"_

_Batman made another face before turning away, annoyed. Seeing this, Diana pushed him out of the way. "Bruce, stop acting like a child. Yes Dick, we need your help, so please come down if you can, all right?"_

_Had it been any other time, he might have laughed at his old mentor's display of pride; but he was in no laughing mood, and the events he had just been informed of were no laughing matter. Robin looked around, his eyes landing on the purely white wedding gown that Starfire had left behind. 'Without you here…I have nothing.' With a final defeated sigh, he nodded. "I'll be there in three days. I have some things to take care of here first."_

_The transmission ended quickly_.

He stared at his R-Cycle, not sure what to do as he climbed atop it. '_To the left is the way to the Justice League…and to the right…Titan Tower and no Starfire…_' Shaking his head, Robin put his foot to the gas pedal. He gave Jump City one last glance, his eyes taking everything in, trying to memorize everything he loved about his city. '_Guess this is goodbye guys…_' Bringing his eyes back to the road, he pressed hard on the pedal, leaving nothing but a trail smoke as his R-Cycle disappeared through the main road of Jump City.

* * *

Starfire let out an angry shout, one of her many, as Blackfire slammed her into another wall. More than half the walls around them had been reduced to dust, she realized, as she looked around the palace. Her people were cowering in fear around her as they continued their battle. It had been almost a week since she'd left Titan Tower, and only a day since she began to fight for the rights to save Tamaran. Blackfire's strength had increased since she'd last fought with her sister, but Starfire was determined to make sure that Blackfire never returned to Tamaran. Starfire had arrived a day prior to their battle, meaning she hadn't shown up for quite some time. Of course, she was surprised to see that her beautiful planet had yet to be destroyed, which was contrary to what Blackfire had stated in her letter; but she was only too disappointed to discover that Blackfire had been slowly eliminating their people as well as slowly wreaking havoc over their living spaces. '_I should have come sooner…_' It was a wonder the castle had still been intact when she arrived, she'd noted. The young orange haired female heaved another breath as she blocked a barrage of blows from her sister, successfully managing to throw a returning punch into Blackfire's unsuspecting face. Blackfire was fuming as she shot a succession of her light purple fire bolts at her little sister, a scowl gracing her lips. 

"Little sister, since when have you known combat?"

Starfire smirked as she chased her older sibling around the crumbling palace fixtures, shooting her green starbolts randomly through the air. "I am glad to say that after your many exploits of my weaknesses, I grew tired of it. I simply asked my friend Robin to train me." She laughed girlishly for a moment, grinning in slight triumph. "It seems he did well, sister."

"I never said this was over yet!" Blackfire screamed as she flew straight at Starfire, knocking them both into the last remaining wall of their family's palace. "You're going to pay for all the things you've put me through, you brat!"

Starfire released a shriek as Blackfire swiftly kicked her in the stomach and brought her fist at the younger woman's face. A sickening crunch echoed around the halls as Blackfire's fist found its target, causing blood to spill from Starfire's jaw as she was thrown backwards. Starfire coughed up more blood as she cradled her aching stomach, her free hand full of the red liquid as she wiped at her mouth. The pain was minimal, though in appearance it might have seemed otherwise; but she was Tamaranian—the majority of Blackfire's attacks were mere scratches to her. Raising herself to her feet, Starfire's eyes began to glow a brilliant green as she let out a terrible war cry before charging at her older sister, starbolts flying from her hands. Blackfire let out a surprised growl as Starfire grabbed her shoulders, quickly bringing her knee into Blackfire's abdomen as her other hand circled her sister's neck. Starfire smirked again, this time without a trace of humor as she tightened her grip around the other girl's soft flesh. "I believe, on earth, this is called cruel irony, my sister."

Blackfire struggled against her sister's surprisingly strong grip, angered that Starfire had somehow bested her yet again, and in front of the entirety of Tamaran. "You…little…brat! You won't win!"

"It seems as though I already have," Starfire replied airily. "But I am not quite as mean as you; therefore, I will give you an ultimatum." Blackfire looked positively murderous; Starfire only continued on. "Either you leave Tamaran, never to return, or I destroy you, once and for all."

"You don't have the guts," Blackfire shot back.

Starfire's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Perhaps in the past, I may not have been this way. But you have threatened Tamaran too many times, and if disposing of you, permanently, is the only way to keep our home planet safe from your evil clutches…then so be it." Starfire glared at her, no remorse showing through as she stared at the other woman. "I am tired of you hurting my friends. It ends today, as you have said in your letter. Decide, sister."

For once, Starfire saw the fear run through her older sister's eyes as she brought her glowing hand to Blackfire's face. The dark-haired tamaranian female let out a strangled squeak as she shook her head. "Fine, it's over. You win. I will never return to Tamaran."

Starfire's smirk turned into a relieved smile as she released her sister, turning to leave. "I am glad that you have agreed to do so." She began walking away, almost halfway towards her old knorfka when she heard Blackfire scream again.

"I would never surrender to you sister! You are going to pay, and you are going to pay with your life!" She let out an animal like shriek as she rushed at Starfire, intent to kill her.

As for herself, Starfire screamed, bringing her fist up just as Blackfire slammed into her. The charged bolt in Starfire's hand flew, bursting in a sparkling emerald light as well as going straight through Blackfire's stomach as the two females fell to the ground, Blackfire atop Starfire. As if only just realizing what she'd done, Starfire shot up from underneath her sister's fallen body; she held it to her in her arms as she observed the blood pooling beneath them—Blackfire's blood. The older tamaranian female coughed violently as she heaved in large, deep breaths, which caused blood to spill from her now paling orange lips onto Starfire's purple clothing. Starfire's eyes watered as she held her dying sister within her arms, burying her face in Blackfire's black hair, tears eventually beginning to spill. "Sister, no, you cannot die…I am sorry. I am sorry! I didn't have the guts…I didn't!"

The irony of the situation made Blackfire let out a small chuckle, though not spiteful or humorous—just plainly hollow. '_It seems you did, sister,_' she thought as she listened to the sobs of her younger sister. With a sigh, Blackfire's mouth moved slowly as she whispered her last words. "May tragedies befall you, sister."

Her hands, stained with Blackfire's blood, came up to tangle themselves in Blackfire's beautiful ebony mane as Starfire hugged her tighter than before. She could feel her sister's blood seeping into her clothing, staining her supposedly once "innocent" hands as her tears came out like a river. With the whole tamaranian race surrounding her, as well as staring at her in terror, she could only shudder. '_I have never…done something so…horrible…_' She could feel her sister becoming lighter, Blackfire's breathing labored as she began practically gasping for air to sustain her collapsing lungs. The green eyed tamaranian shook, her body quivering with the reality of what she'd done, her hands shaking as she held on to the last remnants of her sister. However, moments later, Starfire could only sob harder as Blackfire's body went completely limp in her arms, the older girl's words ringing in her ear; Starfire could only cry more. '_It already has sister…it already has_.'

* * *

Meanwhile, Raven was busying herself by putting out the search call for Jinx, not even suspicious as to why their leader hadn't done it himself. She went about her task as though she was a robot, not really questioning anything about the task itself or why no one else had yet to arrive at the Tower. Her mind was occupied, drifting in a far away land as she went through routine protocols and such. Once finished, she retired to her room, annoyed and troubled as she waited for someone to come back. Raven let out a long sigh as she slumped against her bed headboard, her mind tired with the dull throbbing of a headache. It'd been a couple of hours since she'd come home and put out the search for Jinx. However, neither Cyborg nor Bumblebee had returned. Robin was missing, too. She'd felt around for beast Boy's aura; all she received was disappointment when she could sense no one's aura. _'I suppose I'm alone then_,' she mused. Without the game station running, Cyborg and Beast Boy's constant arguments or Robin's incessant obsessive speeches over Slade, the tower seemed chilly and deathly silent. She could feel the stillness in the air, radiating throughout the cool titanium walls of Titan Tower; it was irking. The sky outside was dark, clouds hanging ominously and menacingly; the air was foggy. _'It is...going to rain?_' Her thoughts were answered as the sky thundered and came alight with lightening, momentarily blinding her as she pulled the hood of her cloak back on. Suddenly, she became rather suspicious about why no one had returned, Robin most of all. '_Something_ _isn't right...they should've been here by now._' When she entered the living room she wasn't surprised to find it empty. However, the monitor beeping before her was quite unexpected. Throwing the flashing red button a cautious glance, she slowly reached forward, pressing the button. Immediately she leapt backwards as Robin's face filled the screen. "Robin?" 

"Nightwing, here. By now, you're probably wondering why I haven't returned to the Titan's Tower, aren't you, Raven?"

She gasped.

"I know you're the only one there. You're the only one I trust with this information. So now, I'll tell you why I'm gone." His face changed. "I got a call from Batman and the Justice League a few days ago; and I've left. I can't state any valid reasons as to why I've gone, other than a favor to an old friend. But I trust you'll help Cyborg keep the team in check, Raven. I don't know when I'll return. Don't try to contact me. Nightwing, over and out."

Raven felt her hands clench into fists. '_First_ _Starfire, now Robin...who is next?_' Her mind drew a blank as she heard the doors to the tower hiss open, and then shut. '_Who in the world...?_' Her question was answered as she heard the girlish laughter fill the air, soon followed by the all too familiar string of lame jokes. _'Beast Boy...and Terra.'_ She quickly concealed herself in the shadows as the two plopped down on to the half circle couch, exhausted, it seemed. For quite some moments they simply laid there, appearing as though resting. Raven began to sidle away slowly, almost to the end of the hallway until Terra shot up from her seat. Raven froze.

"Does it feel like...we're being watched?" Terra asked her green-skinned friend as she glanced around the supposedly empty room. Beast Boy shrugged, nonchalant as he continued relaxing. "Oh...well...I guess..."

As soon as the young earthmover had disappeared into her previous position on the couch, Raven fled into her own room. Once again inside her sanctuary, Raven leaned against her dresser, eyeing her mirror warily. '_Maybe it's time for another meeting,_' she thought as she stared at it. The temptation of entering the mystical mirror was great but she knew it was dangerous, at the moment. Resisting the urge, she placed it in her drawer, instead opting to occupy her time and mind with the book of Azar. Even as she held it, her fingers shook, nervousness creeping into her skin. She felt as though she'd spontaneously combust at any second. Shaking her head, she brought her attention back to the book, intent to focus on something other than the rapid beating of her heart. _'Focus Raven, focus!_' When no peace came to her, she threw the book on the floor while her hands shot up in defeat. '_Whatever…I need some tea,_' she thought mildly as she walked back towards the living room area of the tower, hoping that Beast Boy and Terra had gone somewhere other than the room. When she peeked into the open area she was relieved to see that no one remained in the room. With a small sigh of relief she made her way towards the kitchen, placing the tea kettle on the stove. She went about her activities as slowly as possible so as to calm her aching yet thundering nerves. She was halfway through her normal process when she heard the main door open, for the second time, as both Bumblebee and Cyborg entered, each quiet and neither saying anything to her. Raven nodded her acknowledgment before she disappeared through the hallway door, leaving each of the other two titans to themselves.

Bumblebee felt the eerie, awkward silence settle over them as Cyborg wordlessly took a seat on the couch. The young woman ventured to ask a question. "Sparky…how you holdin up?"

He shook his head, ignoring her pet name for him. "I just…I don't understand…has it all changed, this much? Bee…what's happenin?"

Immediately she knelt down next to him, taking as much of him into her arms as she could manage. "I don't know Cy, I just don't know."

He felt stiff in her arms, the cool metal of his cybernetic parts running smoothly against her chocolate colored skin. Bumblebee let a small smile grace her lips as she continued to hold him to her, content in the fact that he let anyone else get so close to him. She knew he'd been close to Jinx during their academy days, and she knew he probably hadn't gotten over the recent news of the other girl's disappearance. '_But what HAS become of Jinx?_' Even she was a little curious as to the sudden disappearance of the young villain. '_If she left a year after Blood fell into hidin…she could be anywhere by now, and doin anythin.'_ She suddenly felt rather fatigued as they sat there, Cyborg still seemingly happy in being quiet, and she glad to at least help her distraught friend. And yet some part of her was upset that he hadn't reacted nearly as much as to when she appeared. '_All he did was get angry for the first part of my arrival._' She shook her head, which was resting by his midsection since she had knelt down to hug him. Her wings buzzed lightly as she felt sleep slowly over coming her tired figure. Before she could attempt to wake up, Cyborg's arms had scooped her up. She looked up in surprise.

"Sparky…" She let out a small yawn.

"I'm takin you to bed," he replied softly as he walked through the hallway door towards her room. Once there he noticed the lights were off. He tentatively pushed it open to see if Terra was inside; she was not. He nodded for Bumblebee to climb into her bed at the top bunk, but she only yawned in response, opening her eyes for a bleary moment. He chuckled as he realized he'd have to do all the work. With a small smile he placed her in Terra's bed instead, sure that the other girl would understand. He tucked her under the covers before turning to leave, mumbling a soft goodnight before he made it to the door. She rolled over, murmuring something incoherent in his direction, causing him to turn back to her. "What was that Bee?"

She shifted underneath the blankets, too tired to roll over again. "Hm…thanks," she answered sleepily as she snuggled deeper under the covers.

Cyborg stared at her affectionately, though he knew she could not see. "Sure Bee, anything for you," he responded softly to himself as he closed the door. Outside of it, he leaned against the wall. '_I'm so confused man…_' In truth, he was recalling all his past adventures, the past young women he'd fallen for as well. '_First Jinx…then Sarasim, now you, Bee…and I just don't know how to feel._' His mind had been somewhat of a jumble since Terra's return, even a little bit before that occurrence. But with Bumblebee's arrival, he found old feelings resurfacing, as well as many memories he was trying to forget. He sighed as he made the slow trek back to his lonely room, his head full of what had happened in the past. He remembered everything from the day he was called to spy for the Titans in H.I.V.E. academy to the days where the Titans East needed his help. '_The day…the day Blood took over Bee…the day he used my friend against me!_' His mind was in an uproar at the memory of Bumblebee, recalling how she'd finally been brainwashed—he heard her famous words, and he chuckled humorlessly. '_I guess he managed to get you, didn't he Bee?' _Blood had tricked him, making him think he meant a lot to the titans—not that he didn't, he knew—but in such a small amount of time.

They asked him to be their leader, even after the incident. '_But it wasn't where I belonged…and it still ain't…_' he shot a quick glance back to the room where his friend slept, peacefully he hoped, in dreams of fancy. However, as he began setting up to sleep, plugging various wires into his inputs for charging, he began to realize that he had not quite escaped whatever it was that had slowly been taking over Titan Tower the past few year. '_It's like…it's swallowing us up in here…whatever it is…_' His thoughts trailed off as images of Bumblebee filtered through his mind, grabbing his attention. 'I'm _beginnin to think I'm going crazy…'_ He knew he'd thought of the young woman as only a friend, at first. But slowly, over time, after taking Blood down at his side—though not for too long—he'd become accustomed to having her at his side. Although he'd taken quite the liking towards Jinx, she had disappeared without so much as a trace, not even one for her villain friends to know of.

As for Sarasim, he remembered looking at the picture Raven had shown him, glad that the young barbarian woman had depicted him in such a way. As a warrior, one who always wore armor—always a warrior, no matter what the time. But despite all that, when it all came back to it, Bumblebee remained a constant when the other two females disappeared. Whether Jinx had been a potential lover or simply a teenage crush, he figured he'd never know. As for Sarasim, he realized that even if he had ended up loving her, they could never be together. And then, when he'd returned from everything, there she was, the only constant in his life aside from his team. Sure, perhaps she was far away, to the east of them, but even her little transmission of updates to Robin every now and then had given him a sense of comfort. When he'd seen her face through various transmissions over the years, Cyborg could not help but feel some sense of pride and joy as he watched her lead the team. '_Hm...s'all you girl,_' he'd always thought while he'd gazed at her chocolate colored face, content to simply see, not be known. But now, as he lay down for the night, he couldn't help but know that it was no longer enough for him, no longer satisfactory inside. _'I may be half robot…but I'm also half human…_' his own words ringing in his ears made his eye twitch as he turned out the lights. '_And I don't know what to feel anymore…' _He never knew about the person who had been leaning against the other side of the wall, also in the exact same position.

* * *

The air outside was cool, and her skin was not protected by the palace walls any longer. Starfire stood inside the rubble that was once her family's magnificent castle, her body numb as she looked out into the galaxy. To the side was her faithful Knorfka, kneeling as she continued to stand motionlessly as the harsh wind whipped her hair around her tear-stained face. '_I have committed the worst atrocity ever,_' she thought, her hands hanging limply at her sides as she slowly brought her face to where a body lay upon a large pyre underneath a sheer silken sheet. Underneath the sheet lay a fallen beauty with black hair, pale-orange skin and a crown atop her head. Starfire's eyes began to tear as she walked over to the fallen woman, her hand planting itself atop the other girl's ice-cold one. '_Sister…though you have done so many horrible things to me…and to Tamaran…you did not deserve this…especially not from one you called family._' Silent tears trailed down her cheeks as she gazed at her sister's still form, regret beginning to eat away at her as she signaled for the funeral procession to begin. Bringing her gaze back to the view from her palace, she took the crown that had been sitting on her head so that she could see it, holding it tightly between her two shaking hands. With a depressed glare, Starfire destroyed the metal crown between her fingers, twisting it at first before smashing it into miniscule pieces. '_I can never be Tamaran's ruler…never.' _As she tossed the broken piece of metal to the ground like useless junk, her mind returned to all the things she had left unfinished at home. '_Robin…have you…forgotten me? Would you have me…even after all the horrible wrongs I have done here?_' She was still gazing out at the bleak sky even until the point when her most trusted servant came to stand next to her. She merely nodded her acknowledgment. 

"Who will rule Tamran now, Empress Starfire?"

"You will, once again, Galfor," she replied as she followed his gaze towards the discarded crown.

"Empress Starfire, do you not think—"

"I am afraid that I do not belong on Tamaran," she said quietly. "My home remains on earth, with my friends and teammates. With Blackfire no longer able to threaten Tamaran, you shall be able to rule peacefully. I am sorry Galfor…but my friends need me…and I am no longer fit to rule Tamaran. After what I have done…I, too, am not best for Tamaran." She let out a small choked sob as she hugged herself, trying to block out the memories of what she'd committed.

"But…you also need your friends, do you not, my bumbgorf?" When she said nothing, Galfor pressed the issue a little more, wrapping her in a comforting hug. "You need him, do you not, my princess?"

She looked up at him, tears shining in her emerald eyes as she tried to deny what she knew was true. She opened her mouth to protest but found the situation all to familiar. "I do not…we are only friends…"

"Even now, you should not attempt, once again, to fool an old knorfka, princess. I have known you far too long," he replied as he smoothed her hair in a fatherly fashion. "You must go. We shall rebuild Tamaran. I shall rule as you have stated; but do not forget that this will always be your home, and you are always welcomed back. The events of the past shall not rule our future. Everything will come to pass as it should, in the best way, My princess. Do not worry. X'hal will see us through."

She nodded vigorously as her tears flowed freely from her eyes, her arms hugging Galfor with all their might. "I thank you, friend." As she turned to look back at the sky, she reached down for whatever was left of her belongings. Not much remained since the palace had been destroyed, and she found herself carrying nothing but a picture frame with a picture of her and her family. '_I am glad to have not lost these._' Letting out a relieved sigh, she gave Galfor one last peck on the cheek before flying into the air. Her eyes lingered longingly at Tamaran before she tore her gaze away, never once looking back as she headed towards earth. '_May tragedies befall me sister…and I shall never return to Tamaran_.'

* * *

Raven had watched enough of the two friends as they comforted each other, somewhat envious as she had stood alone in the darkened shadows of the hallway. Shortly after they'd departed from the couch, she heard Terra and Beast Boy enter through the doors, once again, and walk past the kitchen area towards her. She practically threw herself into the shadows to avoid being seen, content to seethe in the darkness as she watched them come into view, Terra hanging sickly on Beast Boy's arm. Involuntarily, her hands clenched into tightened fists, imagining what she would do to Terra if she could. But nothing happened as she watched the pair continue their walk down the hallway into Beast Boy's room. Before he went in, she saw him pause at his door, his head sweeping back to the direction in which she was supposedly concealed. Raven's breath caught in her throat, her eyes locking with his, though she wasn't sure if he could actually see her. She backed further into shadows as she waited for him to go into the room, which would in turn allow her to return to her domicile unseen. However, when he did not enter, Terra grew curious, and Raven felt her face afire. '_Does he suspect me? Please…just go inside…I can't take this right now._' She pleaded for a distraction, anything that would take his gaze away from her cache. She didn't know whether to call it luck or a curse, but right then Terra decided to intervene. 

"Beast Boy? Is everything all right? I thought you wanted to watch that movie?" She asked him her question, curious as to why they hadn't gone inside yet.

He shook his head, as if awakening from a daze. "I…Yeah…we should do that. Sorry to keep you waitin," He replied as he slowly brought his gaze back to the blonde. She smiled gently, and Beast Boy allowed himself to be pulled into the room.

The hissing of shutting door finalized their disappearance and Raven let out a small sigh as she relaxed from her tensed position underneath the protection of her cloak. With them gone, she could finally go inside her room without interrogation or suspicion. Her mouth felt dry as she entered her room, slowly placing her cloak on her dresser. Atop it, she caught sight of her mirror—for the second time—and she shuddered, swearing she had put it away before she'd left her room again. It brought back too many memories of invasion, and Raven looked away. '_You saw me…and you still…_' she let her thoughts drift off as she recalled her past mistakes. '_Rorek…Malchior…that was one of those major ones,_' she thought sourly. '_And Malchior, he lied…but what of Rorek?' _She'd never known the true wizard, the one who defeated Malchior. '_He might have been nicer…'_ She sighed again as she lay down on her bed beneath the sheets, her mind drifting from her mistakes to Beast Boy. She knew he was with Terra, probably eating popcorn and enjoying a movie. But she could care less about the Blonde earthmover. Her thoughts remained only on the green-skinned young man who she had pushed away time and time again. Raven frowned as she grabbed her pillow, hugging it for dear life as she felt a tear slip down her cheek. '_Somehow, I don't think he's going to ever come back to me now…not after what I said…'_

It had been a week since Bumblebee had arrived, since Starfire had left, since Terra had come back and since she and Beast Boy fought. Normally he would apologize and things would go back to the way they were. But this time Raven knew things were not the same, for he had not apologized and they remained only on civil terms. They hadn't actually held a conversation for more than five seconds, and it usually consisted of a simple "hi" or a "we need to report" type response. She felt the familiar ache in her chest pulsing, and squeezed the pillow tighter as she curled into a ball. '_I have to fix this…I have to…I don't care about my emotions anymore!_ _They're hurting me!_' Giving one final sigh, Raven tossed her pillow to the side, not caring what it knocked over or shattered. She'd made up her mind. Donning her cloak again, she exited her room and went straight to Beast Boy's room, which had been relatively bare since his supposed retirement from the Titans. She knocked once, not too loudly, not too lightly, and waited for someone to grant her permission to enter. When no one answered, she knocked a little louder. And still there was nothing. '_Oh Azarath…I'm going in,_' she thought, though some part of her felt dreadful of what lie on the other side. Bracing herself she opened the door, prepared to ask Terra to leave in order to speak to Beast Boy alone. "Beast Boy, I need—"

However, nothing she could have predicted could have prepared her for what she saw the minute the door slid open. She gasped as her eyes met the sight of Terra atop Beast Boy, his hands on her waist as she straddled him. They were kissing one another—enthusiastically it seemed—as Terra's fingers roamed through his hair and ran the length of his neck and chest. Luckily both were fully clothed, but Raven was horrified nonetheless. She cringed as they broke apart, gasping for air and fumbling for explanations. Terra looked flushed all over as she backed away, not able to face Raven for some odd reason. Beast Boy ran a hand through his hair as he whispered something to Terra before walking over to Raven. He appeared calm and collected, nonchalant too, but the moment she saw his eyes she saw exactly how nervous and frightened he actually was. Raven said nothing, completely numb as he took her arm and led her out into the hallway, the door closing behind them. Once there, Beast Boy was the one to break her from her reverie of pain and shock as she slowly turned to look at him.

"Didja need something Raven?" His tone was cool but she could tell he was scared. When she said nothing, he finally broke. "God Raven…What you saw in there…I'm sorry…it was an accident. I didn't mean to—"

It was her turn to cut him off, her eyes empty as she stared at him. "I don't care about what happened in there," she replied, her voice monotone, and cold as ice. Her face was completely blank, her expression dead as she continued to look at him. On the outside she knew she looked like she didn't care one bit. But on the inside, Raven was screaming, her emotions running rampant as she tried to control her anger and jealousy, her sadness. Or the consequences could be drastic, she knew.

Beast Boy rolled his eyes, his nervousness turning into annoyance at her continuous lack of emotion. "Okay, then who cares about it? Anyway, what didja need?"

Suddenly Raven found herself in a bit of a problem. '_I didn't think about what I'd say…God…I have to get away from here before I destroy something. I know my emotions can't…I can't do this! I know I can't do this!_' She paused from her mental beating for a split second. '_Then why do I want him to come after me?_' Ignoring his question and her subconscious, she turned away and began walking back to her room, her resolve slowly beginning to break. She'd done everything in her power to deny the feelings that were beginning to surface, to push away the truth she knew about her father. After Slade's so-called resurrection, the Titans had been in enough trouble trying to deal with the maniacal villain who'd gained crazy powers. And once again, they had buried him in the lava, desperately attempting to rid Jump city of his horrid presence. But one thing did not change for Raven. '_The prophecy…my birthmark…it will never go away…no matter what I've done…_' It had begun the day that "Slade" had delivered the message, and she'd been doing everything she could to prevent it from actually happening. And though it did not explain Terra's resurrection so many years later, or the fact that Slade had returned yet again, she didn't have time to dwell on such explanations as she fought to stay in control. '_How foolish of me_,' she thought as she tried to block out Beast Boy's voice. '_All I need is a catalyst…something that will throw me over the edge…'_ Her eyes widened as she realized what the catalyst was—or whom, rather. With her new found knowledge, she began to walk as fast as possible, the need to get away from her fellow titan increased ten-fold. '_Please…don't come after me! If you come after me, it will all go bad…chaos will ensue! Please don't come after me…please…he will be released…please, anything but my father!'_

Beast Boy's eyes widened, his suspicions confirmed. He went after her, forgetting about Terra as she began to walk faster, her simple trek turning into something resembling a run; most likely to avoid him. "Rae! Rae, wait a minute! You came for something! Stop lying to me!" When she still made no effort to reply to him or acknowledge that she knew he was following her, he reached out for her arm. Successful in grabbing it, he spun her around. Her head went down as she began to struggle to get away, though she dared not speak, he noticed. His grip on her arms held firm as she tried to use her powers but failed and Beast Boy suddenly found the whole situation intensely familiar. He was about to chuckle when she finally stopped, going somewhat limp in his grip. "Raven?" She made no move to look up. Finally, Beast Boy lifted her chin, pushing her cloak back to see her face. He felt his heart break as he saw a single tear drop from her eye—then the shaking started. She collapsed into herself as uncontrollable sobs wracked her slender form, causing her to pitch forward into his arms. He embraced her, holding her as close as possible as he kissed her hair, murmuring to her everything he'd been meaning to say to her since Terra's return. "Rae…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to hurt you. I just…I was hurt by the things you said that night…and I needed someone…God Raven, I'm sorry."

"Don't…" She managed to choke out as he hugged her tighter. "Please don't say it…you don't understand…just don't…" She could speak no more as she rested against him, her emotions at the breaking point. '_Please…no more…I can't keep them down anymore…if he says it…_' The decision was taken as she heard him speak. _'No…_'

"I love you Raven, I love you," he whispered into her hair, loud enough for her to hear, but low enough so that no one else could.

'_God…why do you have to be so damn caring? Why do you have to love me?'_ Her mind was screaming obscenities at him as he did what she feared. '_God…please stop Beast Boy…You have to stop, this has to end!'_ She shook her head against him. '_I'm in love with him…and I…I don't ever want it to end…never…._' For the first time since their interaction happened in the room, Raven let out a choked sob as she wrapped her arms around him, her silent tears trailing down her lavender cheeks as he continued to smooth her hair with his hand. She would have basked in the moment longer had she not felt it, in the core of her being. '_I can't…any longer…!' _Her mind screamed at her, like a thousand white lights trying to stab her to unconsciousness; her emotions were in turmoil as she felt it awakening inside her. '_Father…_' Immediately she threw him away as she backed against the wall. "It's too late…it's too late!" She let out a howl of pain as her eyes turned a deadly red. "Hate will dominate!"

Beast Boy stared at her in horror as the familiar figure of Rage, otherwise known as Trigon, erupted from Raven's mind. Her soul-self screamed in agony as it was consumed by her father's treacherous power. At that moment, Bumblebee, Cyborg and Terra burst through their respective doors, just in time to be thrown against the wall where Beast Boy was shielding himself from Rage's power as it filled the hallway, blocking out his terrified shout. He managed to stand up with enough time to make his way towards the other three members in the tower, grabbing a hold of Terra's arm as she clung to him in fear. Bumblebee was quivering in fright as she grasped Cyborg's metallic arm with her free hand, the other blocking her eyes from the debris as Titan Tower began to melt, debris flying everywhere. No one said a word—whether it was actually possible for them to or not was something none of them knew—as Raven's transforming figure released a bloodcurdling shriek as she rose into the air, soaring into the sky until she disappeared. Immediately following her leave, the winds died down and the sky began to darken as though a horrid storm was approaching, coloring the sky purple and dark blue as lightening began to strike various places in the town. Beast Boy looked up, his face horror-filled as he saw three figures emerge from the gray clouds, all too familiar. Cyborg was the first to speak, however, as Bumblebee let out another audible gasp and Terra shuddered.

"Brother Blood," Cyborg whispered.

"Slade," Terra said as well, her eyes wide.

* * *

As she soared past the atmosphere of earth, she couldn't help but wonder what awaited her once she arrived back at Titan's Tower. _'Will they…forgive me for what I have done?_' Her thoughts were cut off abruptly when she saw Titan's Tower come into view; she was horrified as her look fell upon the Tower, which was encompassed in flames. She gasped as she brought her hands to her face, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. '_X'hal help us…_' 

**TBC**

_(So I'm sure everyone wants to kill me right about now, especially for what I did to poor Blackfire…and I'm sorry. I didn't want to kill her—but I did. It fit into the plot, after all. Star is back, yay! But no, Robin isn't around so…what's the team to do? Jinx will be coming in next chapter, I believe…and now the action begins, after a grueling 8 chapters of NO ACTION! I owe to y'all, too! I think Aqualad might not ever appear other than being part of the Titans East so…don't get your hopes up too high on that one. Well, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it. R&R whether you did or didn't, flame me, whatever. Chao for now.)_

_Chocomintswirl_


	10. Surprises are for?

_Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans because things would be damn different if I did. Anyway…this is for entertainment purposes only since I have no money to give any of you if you decide to sue me. I'm a struggling college student, for real. I might have some spare pennies, but I sure as hell can't imagine why you'd want that when you can find it on the street corner._

A/N: Pairings are as follows, as of the present—Terra/Beast Boy/Raven (Terra will be here for—and I'm estimating—another two or three chapters, and no, I'm not bashing her, ok? So don't ask me to!) Robin/Starfire, Jinx/Cyborg/Bumblebee (because he needs someone, and I've wanted to write them in for a while now.) So, if you aren't open to those pairings, then I warn y'all, Do NOT read this fic. So…that's it for now, and no, there is no new enemy entering the picture, because I just decided what I was working with was good already! More or less, I'm going to just disregard most of the recent episodes, like The End Part 1, 2 and 3, okie? I don't want to, but it is really hard to try to keep writing them in with this fic. Just disregard them, okie? Thanks so much! Enjoy the fanfic.

Word Coding is as follows:

_'Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Everything else

_In italics without parenthesis...that's just flashbacks in general_

Inside the Silence (Chapter 10)

Robin watched as the towers of the Justice League came into his view, somewhat shaded by the moonlit night. He had taken a detour in order to avoid being seen in the daytime, hoping to keep any suspicious villains from tracking his path to the actual league. He waited for permission to enter, his bike making a low humming noise as he came to a slow stop before the gates. The air around the city was deathly quiet, and he was sure that it had something to do with the criminal activity. More likely than not, the villains had scared away the townspeople by harassment, murder and the like. Letting out a sigh, Robin pulled out his communicator, hastily putting in communication coordinates for the Justice League in hopes that someone would answer. When Diana's bright smiling face popped up on the screen he managed to give her a weak smile in return as the iron gates slowly opened for him. Careful not to rev the motorcycle's engine, he pressed the pedal gently as he pushed it inside the gates, not looking back as they closed behind him like a seal of fate. '_They've_ _sealed my fate; I've sealed my fate,_' he thought as he brought the bike to a slow stop by the doors, gingerly climbing off and bringing his helmet with him. His eyes seemed fixated on the carved figures before him, the ones that stood watch—it seemed—over the Justice League. When he saw Batman amongst them, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy of his mentor. '_I'm still trying to be like you, Bruce._' His bitter thought was interrupted when the doors to the actual League opened up and Diana came bursting through.

When she reached him, she ran up to him and threw her arms around him, letting out a small laugh. "We're so glad to have you back, Dick."

Robin let out a small sigh of annoyance mixed with small content. "Thank you, Diana, but I'm not so sure I feel the same way."

She gave him a questioning look as they made their way into the League, side by side as Diana opened doors along the way. "Dick…what happened to you back there, in Jump City? What's going on with your team?"

He let out another sigh, this time one of deep regret and disappointment—one of deep sadness. "Things just went…bad. There has been chaos ever since…" he trailed off, not quite sure what to say about the incident or how to explain it to the woman before him. She gave him another expectant look to which he could only agree to spill the information he knew. "I believe my teammates have…become close."

"Who? Why is that bad?" She asked, curious.

"My two teammates have become close, the ones who…shouldn't have become close. It would appear that Beast Boy, Garfield Logan, has become awfully close to Raven Roth, and it's created such a catastrophe in the tower," he replied.

Her eyes widened slightly. "Raven Roth…the demon girl? And the changeling? But doesn't Raven have…an inability to…show emotion?"

He nodded, vigorously. "Exactly—Raven isn't allowed to…feel. But ever since Terra was encased in that lava flow some years back, Beast Boy has been a mess. Whatever has been eating away at Raven and Beast Boy has slowly been taking over our Tower and killing our team, little by little. Before I left…she disappeared, too…and now, I don't know anything anymore. I tried to tie up my loose ends…but in the end…I suppose all I really did was runaway."

Diana raised a brow. "Wait a minute, Dick. What you're saying is that there is some kind of evil swallowing Titan's Tower? And who is this she that left? What is this about you running away? What did you run away from? It's not like you to do such a thing."

As they came to a stop in the main living room area where Robin assumed that the Justice League members gathered for meetings, he fell into a chair, his head held tightly within his hands as he remembered everything that had happened from Terra's "death" to the last few days when she was brought back. He couldn't hold it in anymore as he told her about the Prophecy in Raven's blood, of Slade's reawakening, of the horrible, eerie, dread that had been overtaking their tower. For the most part, he'd been relatively mechanical when explaining it all to Diana, reserved, leader-like and totally nonchalant. But when he came to the piece about Starfire's disappearance, he couldn't seem to control his voice or reactions. His eyes began to tear through his mask and his voice quivered slightly as he mouthed his next words carefully. "I ran away from my team. I'm not a leader at all, Diana. I didn't tell them I was leaving…well, except for Raven. And this evil that's been overtaking the tower…I can't stop it; it's unnatural." He sucked in his breath lightly as he spoke her name for the first time since she'd left. "And Starfire…she…is gone."

Immediately Diana understood what was happening. "Dick, I understand now."

He looked up, his mask drooping in concordance with his expression of sadness. "I can't…"

He was at a loss for words as Diana embraced him. He'd never been one for much affection, she'd realized after Bruce had joined the league and Robin had chosen to go out on his own. But she figured that now was a good time to give him some, considering it wasn't everyday that she'd seen the young hero cry or express such emotion about a person or situation. As she smoothed his hair, cradling his trembling body in her arms, she could only stare at the wall opposite them, her mind in a boggle. '_What has happened to you, Dick? What is happening to this world?_' She felt a sigh building in her throat but pushed it down as she caught sight of a black-caped figure in the shadows, moving ever so silently away from the spectacle they were creating in the main room. '_Bruce…can't you see…he needs you now, more than ever?_' Her heart felt heavy as she continued to soothe the young man in her arms, her mind somewhat on what they were to do once he'd collected himself. '_Something tells me that this is only the beginning,_' she mused as she caught sight of his communicator. '_Titans, I think you're in for the roughest time you've ever had in battle._'

* * *

Beast Boy cringed as he hugged his side, running his fingers over the smooth bandages that covered his wound. After Raven had disappeared above them, into the darkening skies, the other four Titans managed to take shelter in the lower floors of the Tower. It seemed that whatever Trigon had planned would not take place right away—he hadn't demolished the city yet. Beast Boy felt heavy all of a sudden, drooping as he walked towards the area where Cyborg and Bumblebee were trying to get in touch with the Titans East. It appeared as though they'd had some luck as Beast Boy heard Aqualad's voice drift through the somewhat silent room. Bumblebee stood behind his friend, listing off ways for the Titans East to come to the Tower without being destroyed, her eyebrows creased in concentration. To her side, Terra was leaning against the wall, her hair blocking any view of her face, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the ground. He had the sudden urge to check on her, but the look Starfire shot his way warned that it wasn't a good idea. As for the Tamaranian female, she had returned to earth in the midst of all the confusion and chaos, barely missing Raven's disappearance into the sky.

However, Beast boy noticed how not cheerful her mood was the moment all the chaos had ended. Her smile did not reach her eyes and she did not greet them in her usually bubbly manner—and somehow, he got the feeling it had nothing to do with Trigon's resurfacing. She had merely asked them if they were okay before settling in a corner away from them, albeit in a similar fashion to Terra. He felt like his head was going to explode with the events that had occurred in the past few hours. '_I don't know…I don't understand…_' He remembered it all like it had happened mere moments ago, not a couple hours ago.

_Immediately she threw him away as she backed against the wall. "It's too late…it's too late!" She let out a howl of pain as her eyes turned a deadly red. "Hate will dominate!"_

_Beast Boy stared at her in horror as the familiar figure of Rage, otherwise known as Trigon, erupted from Raven's mind. Her soul-self screamed in agony as it was consumed by her father's treacherous power. At that moment, Bumblebee, Cyborg and Terra burst through their respective doors, just in time to be thrown against the wall where Beast Boy was shielding himself from Rage's power as it filled the hallway, blocking out his terrified shout. He managed to stand up with enough time to make his way towards the other three members in the tower, grabbing a hold of Terra's arm as she clung to him in fear. Bumblebee was quivering in fright as she grasped Cyborg's metallic arm with her free hand, the other blocking her eyes from the debris as Titan Tower began to melt, debris flying everywhere. No one said a word—whether it was actually possible for them to or not was something none of them knew—as Raven's transforming figure released a bloodcurdling shriek as she rose into the air, soaring into the sky until she disappeared. Immediately following her leave, the winds died down and the sky began to darken as though a horrid storm was approaching, coloring the sky purple and dark blue as lightening began to strike various places in the town. Beast Boy looked up, his face horror-filled as he saw three figures emerge from the gray clouds, all too familiar. Cyborg was the first to speak; however, as Bumblebee let out another audible gasp and Terra shuddered._

_"Brother Blood," Cyborg whispered._

_"Slade," Terra said as well, her eyes wide. _

_Beast Boy lifted his head, unable to believe that their worst sworn enemies had returned and were working for Trigon. He watched as Raven reappeared. Her body glowed a brilliant crimson color; her clothes shedding to reveal all too familiar bright burning red marks carved in her gray skin. He felt as though his heart was going to burst in pain as her hood fell away to reveal four shining red eyes. 'Trigon's eyes…' his thoughts trailed as she let out a maniacal laugh. She floated in front of them, the figures of Slade and Brother Blood aside her as Trigon's enormous figure rose from behind the three smaller figures. Raven seemed to be in a trance as Trigon pointed a massive finger at the Titans, a terribly insane smirk on his face as Raven began to speak. Slade and Brother Blood appeared to be ready for attack as fire engulfed Slade's entire body, something Beast Boy had seen before. Brother Blood was surrounded by a menacing blue aura as his eyes glowed red, a sight familiar to Cyborg. Bumblebee clenched her fists at the remembrance of being controlled by those eyes, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. She was about to shoot off and fight when Cyborg gripped her arm._

_"Sparky, what gives?" Her eyes held annoyance._

_"That's not him, Bee, believe me," he replied quietly. "You don't know the power this guy holds…so just…let it go. We aren't ready to fight Trigon just yet."_

_Something about the way he'd said it compelled her to stay put. She sank to his side again as she resumed looking at their enemies. "Whatever you say, Sparky."_

_As for Terra, her insides were burning with hatred and shame as she watched Slade and Brother Blood come into Raven, closing in on her from either side. Slade's one eye seemed to focus on the Blonde before him, as if thanking her for making his job so much easier. She turned away, looking for Beast Boy in an attempt to get away from Slade. However, a voice in her head kept repeating the same phrase. 'You'll always be a part of me, precious, poor, misunderstood Terra.' Wincing, she made to run to Beast Boy when the figure of Slade shot out so fast, she barely had time to register that he had been coming for her until she felt his icy metal hands clamp around her neck. Beast boy froze in place at the display while Cyborg and Bumblebee could only watch in anticipation at what would happen next. She began to struggle, her gloved hands prying at his hands until she had expended too much energy to fight back anymore. At that point, Slade let out a small, satisfied chuckle as he leaned into her ear to speak; Terra reeled away in fear and disgust._

_Slade only smirked wider, though it could not be seen. '"My, my Terra, it seems you have become afraid of me. I don't think you should be. For leading us here, you shall be greatly rewarded."_

_Terra looked away. "I didn't do anything like that. I killed you! I killed us!"_

_"Obviously not," he replied in slight boredom as he threw her to the ground where Beast Boy caught her. "I thank you all for leading us to the sorceress, and especially you, Beast Boy, is it? Without you, Raven would never have fulfilled her fate, as the Prophecy chose. This will be the happiest birthday she has ever had."_

_Beast Boy gritted his teeth as Slade returned to his place beside Raven, who was staring impassively at them. At that moment, he caught sight of Starfire breaking the earth's atmosphere. He would have yelled to her except that he had no energy left within him as he collapsed on the ground, Terra still in his arms. Cyborg rushed over to them just as Brother Blood swooped in and seized his arm, not allowing him to reach for his fallen friend. Bumblebee skidded to an abrupt halt; unsuccessfully, however, as she slammed into Cyborg's armor, falling backwards onto the ground beside Beast Boy and Terra, out cold. Brother Blood smirked as he watched Cyborg struggle as Terra had with Slade. His smile widened when Cyborg became frantic, barely realizing that Bumblebee had passed out minutes before. "What did you do Blood?"_

_"A little surprised to see me aren't you, Cyborg? Well, I must say that this was an unexpected happening, on both our parts. But you see, Trigon and I made a bit of a deal. I get to destroy you, personally, if he receives his little present, which is over there. As you can see, she has been restored." He laughed as Cyborg's eyes shut in anger. "I will enjoy destroying you and your precious friends, my dear Cyborg." With that last laugh, he punctured a hold in Cyborg's battery pack, eliminating the rest of his battery power. Cyborg fell with a loud thud next to the remainder of his friends, just as Beast Boy stirred. Brother Blood made a face as he watched the green changeling place the blonde haired girl on the floor._

_"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone who won't run out of batteries, you jerk?" He was aware that he was asking for trouble, but he didn't care. 'Better to go down with a fight than without one,' he thought as he saw Starfire head their way. He took one last look at the green and purple blur coming their way before transforming into a cheetah and tackling Brother Blood to the ground. He raised his paw to slash at him when a wall of fire rose around them. Beast Boy knew who was there; he slashed anyway, his claws coming down on nothing but rubble. He glanced around, noticing that Brother Blood and Slade were standing amidst the fire, smirking at him as they watched him try to get through the firewall. He snarled as he transformed a bird, soaring over the flaming wall until he had reached them. The minute he had, he morphed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and charged at the two men, not caring what got destroyed in the way. However, when he had just about reached them, Raven appeared. No matter what she was, he couldn't help himself from skidding to a halt before her. She stared at him, her eyes still that horrible red as she raised a hand to him—he knew what was coming next. But he couldn't attack her, even though he knew he should have; she let out her attack. He took one last look at her before falling to unconsciousness. _

_From her vantage point, Starfire could only gasp as she watched the three small figures disappear into the sky while Trigon's large figure vanished into thin air before her very eyes. Without a second thought she rushed to the sight of the demolished Tower, tears in her eyes as she saw her four friends lying amongst the rubble, mangled and bloody. Dropping to her knees in the very center of them, she raised her hands to the sky as she released a deafening shriek. Only then did she notice that Robin was not there. Her eyes widened in horror. 'He's not…' her thought did not finished as she fell to the ground as well, her tears the only sound echoing through the hollow, decimated Tower. _

Beast Boy shook his head to rid himself of the horror he'd just witnessed. Nevertheless, he felt as though it was only the beginning of what was going to be their hardest battle. '_And with Robin gone…_' Slight anger filled him at the thought of their leader missing in action. No one knew where he had gone to, and if Raven had, they'd never know now. Starfire seemed to acknowledge that their leader had disappeared; she hadn't mentioned his name once since her return. Beast Boy sensed that her leaving had something to do with Robin, though not directly. However, he had yet to ask about her leave since he was so wrapped up in trying to make sense of everything around them. He leaned back against one of the few chairs to survive the attack on the tower, his body heavy and bruised from his fight with Slade and Brother Blood. He had blocked out Cyborg and Bumblebee's voices as his mind drifted to Terra, who was still sulking against the wall. His green eyes rested on her forlorn form as she suddenly brought her head up, eyes meeting with his. His stomach felt queasy as she gave him a blank stare before looking away quickly, her eyes dull but troubled. He knew, in his heart, that she had not led Slade to them—she wasn't the same person after her so-called death. He could tell she'd matured greatly—they all had.

Groaning in slight pain as she shifted his position on the chair, Beast Boy felt sleep tugging at him. Only then did he realize what a long, agonizing day it had been, for all of them. Settling back in the chair, he drifted off into a fitful slumber. As for the rest of the team, Terra stood berating herself upon the wall while Starfire gazed out the window, her expression solemn as she watched the storm rage outside. They'd only been able to repair a small part of the tower in the lower levels so water would not enter. She could see the sky screaming at them and knew it was only the beginning, just as Beast Boy had. Her emerald colored eyes were distant as she fingered a metallic piece of machinery in her hands. '_Robin…where have you gone to?'_ She felt cold inside as she wondered where he had disappeared to. '_I didn't get to apologize…I am sorry Robin,_' she thought as a few tears escaped her eyes, sliding slowly down her orange skin as she let her eyes close. She squeezed the contraption in her hands, fully aware that it would eventually break if she squeezed any harder. But just like the batarang, she felt like if pushed a little harder, she too would break from everything. Leaning against the window seal, she kept her eyes closed, calling out to her leader. '_Robin…please…we need you so very much right now. I need you so much..._' Her calls went unanswered.

Cyborg let out a sigh of relief as the screen with Aqualad's face blanked, ending the communication. Behind him, Bumblebee let out a tired sigh as well, collapsing on the chair beside him. "I guess that's it then, Sparky."

He nodded though his mind was elsewhere. "I gotta recharge my batteries. I'll be right back."

Bumblebee nodded in return as he vanished somewhere behind all the randomly stacked boxes. She glanced over to where Terra was brooding silently, her blonde head in between her knees. The young woman made no move to ask what was the matter with everyone; her instincts warned about dangerous territory in asking. Instead, she looked back to the computer console, her eyes glued to the screen as she lost herself in her own thoughts. She twiddled her fingers, idly, while she imagined what was awaiting them in battle. '_It seems almost unreal…_' She inhaled a large breath as she placed her chin on her crossed hands, vaguely curious as to what had transpired between Beast Boy and Raven that caused such an outburst. '_Well, outburst doesn't give this situation justice…_' As a latecomer, she didn't quite understand what had been happening the past few years at Titan's Tower. '_I do know one thing though…and that's the feelin I got when I came here…cold, dark, lonely…evil…_' Her thought were interrupted when she heard Cyborg's heavy footsteps coming towards her. She swiveled around in her chair to face him, eyes wide. "Any luck?"

He pointed to his glowing blue arm before signaling her to one of the cots that had been setup for sleeping. "Bee, you need some rest. Tomorrow we go out to fix all this. We got some searchin to do."

She smiled lightly. "How 'bout you?"

"I'm standin watch," he replied.

"This is not necessary friend Cyborg. I will provide this watch for all of us this night," Starfire's voice emerged from the shadows. He looked ready to protest when she raised a hand to silence him. "Please, do not refuse my offer. I wish to protect my friends..."

Something about the way she said it reeked off a deeper meaning; Cyborg backed off. "Aight Star; but if you need anythin, wake me up and let me know."

"Many thanks Cyborg, but I will be fine," she answered, showing a small smile as she turned back to the window, the batarang still tightly in her grip.

Cyborg eyed her for a minute, then the batarang—the dots connected themselves. Shaking his head, he plugged himself in to his backup recharge bed, which was located next to Bumblebee's cot. The young Valkyrie was fast asleep beside him, just as Beast Boy and Terra had been for the past twenty minutes. As he closed his eyes to welcome sleep, he gave Starfire one last withering look. '_Robin, man, wherever you are, I hope you come back soon. We need you._' He frowned. '_But most of all…she needs you._'

* * *

Cradling the coffee cup between his hands in a lovingly fashion, Robin inhaled the aroma as Diana placed a plate of food in front of him. He simply stared at it with little interest, his mind on what he was to do once he went back to his team. '_If they ever accept me…after this…_' His thoughts halted as he looked up from his cup, barely noticing that there was another person inside the room besides Diana and himself. '_Bruce…it has to be._' In the corner, the one closest to Diana, he could see the faint glimmer of those eyes he'd become so familiar with in the past. Smirking as he raised a hand to wave, Robin found himself letting out a bitter greeting. "Hello Bruce. It's good to see you finally decided to join us."

Bruce scowled from within the shadows as he returned the gesture. "Robin, it's nice to see you too."

"Oh, Bruce…do you always have to be so cold and unfamiliar? He's like your son, for heaven's sake! Stop being such a hard ass!" Diana threw up her hands as she stood and walked over to the corner where he was hiding. Sighing, she reached into the thick shadows and grabbed him, practically dragging him with her. She smiled despite his protests. He was strong, but she was Wonder Woman; one of the strongest women alive and no man could resist her, especially not Bruce Wayne. Once she had dragged him to the table and seated him next to her, she took her seat and smiled again. "That's better! Now, Robin…about all the things you told me…"

"I don't feel like talking about it now, Diana," he replied quietly, somewhat uncomfortable now that Bruce was in the room.

Seeming to notice his discomfort, Bruce spoke. "I heard everything Dick. I know everything. If you're uncomfortable because of my presence, you should know that now, you shouldn't be."

"You're not very tactful, are you, Bruce?" Robin rubbed the back of his neck as he shot his mentor a humored look. "Anyway…that's not why I didn't want to…"

"You've never been a good liar, boy wonder," Bruce answered, amused.

"I'm not the Boy Wonder anymore," he whispered as he took a sip of coffee. "And fine…you're right. But what's going to come of talking about it? I came here to assist the Justice League. What the Teen Titans are doing right now is none of my business."

"That doesn't sound very leader-like; not at all like you, Dick," Diana said as she gave him a worried stare. "The Titans…they're your team. And though you are not teens any longer, you still are The Titans. It's your job to lead them. That's why…you left, remember?"

"Things aren't the same as they used to be," he answered in annoyance, mainly because he noticed Bruce stiffen at Wonder Woman's comment. "Besides, who is to say that I won't continue to lead them? I'm just…now isn't a good time to be there. I ran away from them, deliberately. The Justice League simply provided a valid excuse for me to do what I had intended to do after her…" he paused long enough to allow Bruce a clear view of the cringe in Robin's body. "It doesn't matter. I'm here to help the league. So is anyone going to brief me about the situation?"

With a sigh, Diana stood up to take her leave. "This is where I cut out. Bruce," she threw him a firm look. "Please, be nice, okay?" A whip of her hair signaled her leaving as she vanished through the shadows.

Robin felt a sigh itching to leave his throat but managed to suppress it as Bruce stiffly began to brief him on the reason he'd left the titans—well, the second reason. However, somewhere in the middle of Bruce's elaborate speech, Robin found himself drifting off, his mind wandering to everything that had happened. The titans were his second main concern at the moment, their whereabouts unknown. But first there was the "little" matter of a certain Tamaranian female on his mind. In truth, he hadn't stopped thinking about her since she left, even though it only seemed to bring him more pain than pleasure. At any rate, Bruce's speech was anything but entertaining, and no matter how hard he tried, Robin couldn't pay attention; therefore his mind entered the realm of impure thoughts, all surrounding Starfire. It felt like he was trying to ignore them since the time was rather inappropriate—but somehow, neither his mind nor his body would oblige his strong logic. Yet, as he stared at the blueprints of the city that Batman had placed before him, his eyes became heavy, his thoughts reaching new heights, mainly on how to apologize to his teammate when he saw her again—and his impure thoughts as well. Still, boredom was creeping its way into his mind when a loud coughing noise brought him back to reality.

"Dick, are you even paying attention?"

Robin snapped to sudden attention, his eyes slightly bleary as he looked at his mentor. Lying would have been pointless. "No…I wasn't. What was this about?"

Bruce eyed him warily though it appeared impassive as he turned away. "Do you have any idea where she is?"

Caught off guard, Robin blanched before hanging his head low. "She's on her home planet…she had to leave…Tamaran was too important."

"Did she say she wasn't coming back?" Bruce pried.

Robin was past the point of clamming up. Instead, he gripped his coffee mug so hard that he thought it might break from the sheer force. "No…she never said anything to us about her leave. It was sudden. But…Tamaran is the most important thing to her. Her…people need her…"

"More than you?"

The dejected young man raised his head. "I never said that she had to choose…but I…it doesn't change how I feel. You wouldn't understand Bruce…"

"Didn't this happen once before, when you were younger?" Robin nodded at Bruce's question. "And she chose to return home here, to earth, didn't she?" The Boy Wonder nodded again, not quite seeing his mentor's point. "Who is to say she won't return again like the last time? Robin…I've had my fair share of…hurts in the past. No one is that inhuman or cold. Not even me. I do understand, maybe more than you know. Just remember that if you really love her that much, there will be no need to worry."

Letting a small chuckle escape his throat, Robin looked up, raising and eyebrow. "When did you get so soft?"

"Let's just say that there is a wonder about this League."

From the doorway, Diana smiled.

* * *

It seemed like all her calls would remain unanswered as she continued to stare out the windows of the destroyed Titans Tower. Her mind drew a long blank as she fingered the batarang in her hands, which were resting upon her lap. The air around her was still, save for the soft snores of Beast Boy and whimpers from what she believed to be, according to her own thoughts, Terra's many nightmares. Bumblebee didn't appear restless at all, nor did Cyborg as their sleep seemed completely interrupted. As for herself, Starfire felt numb as she stared out into the sparkling night sky of Jump City, glad to see that although Trigon had emerged from the shadows, he had not yet taken the entire city with him. Nevertheless, there appeared to be some residue of his awakening, such as the fires that had suddenly began to blaze about the supposedly deserted city. The fires themselves had erupted moments before she'd looked out the window. As she glanced to the fires and then to her friends, she felt the sudden need to save the city, at least for the time being. Placing the batarang upon the chair she'd previously occupied, Starfire disappeared into the night, her hair, having gone unnoticed by the occupants of her team, leaving a beautiful but faintly red trail of fire after.

As she arrived at the place of the first seen fires, she swooped down like a bird for the kill, searching for the causes of the catastrophe. She soon spotted a few junkies throwing things into the fire but didn't think much of it as she began looking for a way to put the fires out, preferably by water. Spotting a few trash cans, Starfire flew the bins to the nearest water source, filled them, and returned to the scene of heinous arson. She watched in slight amusement as the flames died away beneath the power of the large amount of water. Another sigh escaped her throat as she realized that the city was in a nice state of turmoil, one that the titans couldn't stop—not without their leader—in Starfire's eyes. Her mind was taking everything in, knowing well that they'd experienced nothing worse than this. Clenching her fists together, she made her way back to the tower, her eyelids feeling sudden heaviness as she resumed her position on her chair. It didn't seem as though anyone had stirred and she thanked the silence that was around her. She was barely picking up the batarang when she heard a noise from within the darkened shadows of the decimated tower. Gripping the metal mechanism within her fingers, Starfire ventured forward a little. "Who is there? I wish that you show yourself now, please."

"Hello Starfire, is it?" A voice replied, loud enough for her to hear but quiet enough not to wake the others.

The tamaranian woman was on her guard within minutes, her eyes blazing a brilliant emerald green as she rose into the air. "What do you want stranger? If you are an enemy, please, show yourself!"

Out of the shadows stepped a woman clad in a bright red, blue, white and gold outfit. She had a thick, long mane of ebony hair, startling blue eyes and pale, milky looking skin. Attached to her hip was a finely pieced golden lasso, and on her head sat a golden tiara. As she revealed herself, she gave the young woman before her a friendly smile. "There is no need to get so worked up young princess. My name is Diana; I'm a member of the Justice League, better known as Wonder Woman."

Starfire settled back on the ground. She remembered Robin mentioning this "Justice League" before, mainly when he talked about his famous mentor. Letting the energy bolts in her hands dissolve, Starfire nodded. "Yes…this League sounds familiar. I believe that friend Robin, er…I mean Nightwing had mentioned your "Justice League" to us before. I am Starfire of Tamaran, as you know. To what do I owe this most late but hopefully pleasant visit? Something has happened to friend Nightwing?" Her eyes were wide as she eyed Diana, hoping against hope that she was wrong about the visit.

Diana simply grinned. "I am here to inform you that Dick, or Nightwing, rather, is quite safe. In fact, he is with his mentor, Bruce Wayne, at the league right now. I came here to tell you, as it seems he hasn't informed his team of his disappearance, with the exception of a Miss Raven Roth who…" she trailed off as she noticed all the remaining Titans looking at her. "Oh…I'm terribly sorry to have woken all of you."

Beast Boy blinked as his eyes shifted to the strange woman, then back to Starfire. "What's…going on?"

"This woman is Diana of the Justice League. She has come bearing news of Robin," Starfire replied, her voice leaking relief. "Please continue Diana."

Diana smiled politely, once again, as she started to speak again. "Anyhow…I just came to let you know everything is all right. Robin has not abandoned you, his team. In fact, he was asked for a favor and he complied." Suddenly her forehead pulsed in slight agitation. "However…it seems Dick has not changed in many ways…like running away." Raising a finger and giving them all another friendly smile, Diana pointed to Starfire. Nevertheless, I need you to come with me, Princess."

At the request, Starfire stiffened. "What ever for?"

Cyborg chose this time to jump in. "Wait a minute…why does she need to do that?"

As if by magic, Diana suddenly became irritated but kept her composure. "Listen, it is very important. You must understand…your leader will not come back unless this young woman accompanies me back to the Justice League. Vincent Stone, right?" He nodded. "Once Robin returns, he will explain himself to you—I'll see to that. Until then, Titans, I recommend you all get some sleep and make a sweep of the city. It seems as though the chaos has barely begun here. Starfire, please, come with me."

With a cautious nod, Starfire proceeded to follow Diana as she bade them farewell before vanishing into the shadows from whence she came. Looking over her shoulder, Starfire gave them a small smile. "I will bring Robin back to us, friends. Do not worry. I am very capable."

Beast Boy ran up to her and threw his arms around her. "Good Luck Star. He needs you…"

"And we all know you need him," Terra offered as she too embraced the Tamaranian.

Bumblebee gave her a "thumbs up" gesture as Cyborg patted her head. "It's all you Star; you go girl."

With their words of encouragement in her being, Starfire, too, disappeared within the shadows outside the Tower and silence reigned again. The initial confusion returned as Beast Boy scratched his head, Cyborg whistled and Terra twiddled her thumbs. Bumblebee would have fallen into the confusion as well when her communicator, luckily undamaged, suddenly began beeping wildly. Reaching into her pocket, she opened the mechanism quickly. "Bee here."

"Damn, the place looks trashed from out here," came a snobbish voice.

"Yeah well, this ain't exactly the place of enjoyment. Get your butts inside—you're late!" She responded firmly. She was walking up to Cyborg when four figures entered the building through the rubble and ruins of the trashed Tower. Bumblebee grinned. "Hey Sparky, I brought some reinforcements."

Cyborg smiled. "So that's what you really needed the communications for, huh, girl? I thought you were just gonna have the Titans East watch out over there."

She nodded. "Tricked ya again, Sparky!"

"Hey everyone, how's it going?" Aqualad waved as she watched them receive stunned looks from the Titans.

Speedy simply stared at the debris around him. "Is it sanitary in here? There's already grime on my new suit."

Mas y Menos ran around screaming like their usual selves. "Hola Titans! Nos encatamos ustedes!"

Of course, no one really seemed to know what they were saying. It seemed like everything was a surprise these days, especially in the recent hours and Cyborg began to wonder who would be showing up next. Some part of him had a bad feeling that it'd be someone who would cause even more tension and trouble for them, even if unintentionally. He decided that he needed a break and disappeared without so much as a word to the team. Beast Boy appeared to have noticed his decision to leave for a break, but said nothing. Bumblebee was busy talking to her teammates and Terra was staying close to Beast Boy's side. Speedy and Aqualad were listening intently as Bee briefed them on the situation while Beast Boy and Terra helped to explain Trigon and Raven's connection. Outside, Cyborg was taking in deep breaths of air, trying to calm himself and cope with the aftermath of everything that had happened. His mind was going miles per minute, and his battery felt like it was going to die even though he'd just charged it.

He glanced out at the city, which was surprisingly quiet but had just started to show sign of the chaos Diane spoke of earlier. He could see the outline of smoke forming in the sky, caused by fires that were most likely started by the troublesome gangs on the streets rather than major criminals. The world was going to be destroyed; what else was there to do? He figured that they'd need to make a sweep sooner than later. He stood up, brought his flashlight up and steadily began making a sweep outside Titan's Tower. He was going to get started early. '_The early bird gets the worm…or in this case…the villain_,' he mused as he scanned the empty garbage bins and pieces of paper fluttering by in the dying breezes. He was just passing by an empty parking lot when he spotted a hooded figure coming towards him. His immediate response was to ask the person to halt; but for some reason he did not do as protocol demanded. Instead, he stood there, his human eyes twitching. '_What the hell?_' Finally, as if coming to his sense, Cyborg raised the flashlight on his arm to the person. "Hey, state ya name and are ya a survivor?"

The figure nodded, then shook its head as it came to a stop before him. The figure was shorted than him be some inches and had to look up to see him. It reached out a slender finger and poked him in the chest. "You're still the same person I last remember you to be, Stone."

Cyborg could only sputter as he caught the person's hand and pushed its cloak back to reveal a head of long hot pink hair, vibrant pink eyes and a familiar mischievous smile. He stared at her in disbelief as she began to laugh. "J—Jinx?" She nodded. "But…Gizmo and Mammoth…they said you were missing, that you might have died!"

"Well, here I am. Are you always this bright, Stone?" She looked around. "Who trashed the place?"

"Long story," he replied, somewhat numb from shock. As he looked back to the streets, then to the Tower, he felt his shoulder sag a little. "I'll explain…as long as you explain your disappearin act, too. But how bout we take a walk, to make up for the time I didn't take ya to the dance?"

Jinx's eyes shot to him at an alarming rate as he smirk turned into a questioning frown, which seemed somewhat awkward to both of them. She hadn't exactly thought about their H.I.V.E. days for quite some time, especially after she'd broken free of Brother Blood's mind control and the life of criminal activity. She glanced at his outstretched cybernetic hand for a moment before placing her own in it, curious as to why he wasn't making smart comments or laughing as she had been before. But at that precise moment that she accepted his offer, even she felt bad vibes. Jinx could only follow and listen silently, which was tough for her to do without making snide comments, as he explained their situation. As they rounded the first corner together, Jinx looked up at him, her pink eyes hidden behind the fold of her cloak. "Stone?"

"Yeah?" He kept looking straight ahead. When she said nothing, he brought his gaze to look down at her pale face—her eyes sparkled. Nothing more was said as they continued on, vanishing into the shadows of the city.

**TBC

* * *

**

TRANSLATION: Nos encantamos ustedes--we love you (formal)

_(If you want to flame me and kill me for taking so long…feel free—I won't be mad about it. I just found a copy of this I had on backup and it didn't need much tweaking or anything, so here it is. I hate it when computers crash on you when you're in the middle of a good story…anywayz...there is chapter 10. Yikes…gotta go work on Chapter 11 now. Not much else to say here, aight? Well, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it. R&R whether you did or didn't, flame me, whatever. Chao for now.)_

_Chocomintswirl_


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